DateTime and DatePart

[wlierman]

I have a data set that has a field          Var                  Type            Length              Format                     Informat

                                                     BR_DOSBEG      numeric              8              DateTime22.3         DateTime22.3

and representative values look like:         23MAR2016:00:00:00.000

                                                                 15FEB2015:00:00:00.000

                                                                 16FEB2015:00:00:00.000       

                                                                                 . . .

The code that I have tried follows:

Data parts;
    Set stgcoc99.COC_PMCA_clms (keep= DOSdate BR_DOSBEG);
Format DOSdate date9.;
DOSdate=datepart(input(BR_DOSBEG,datetime22.3;
run;

I have looked at prior posts and solutions on this question. In fact, a solution by kurt_bremser (below with one actual value from my data) works great:

data _null_;
BR_DOSBEG="23MAR2016:00:00:00.000    (this is a value from my data as well as column name)
format newdate date9.;
newdate=datepart(input(BR_DOSBEG,datetime22.3));
put newdate=;
run;

However, I haven't been able to successfully apply that approach in my data set. 

The last ERROR that was shown in the log was:

                                                                  DOSdate=datepart(BR_DOSBEG,datetime22.3));   

                                                                                                                         -----------------

                                                                                ERROR 386-185   Expecting an arithmetic expression                                   

Your help/tips are greatly appreciated.  I am using SAS v.9.

wlierman

[cau83]

DATEPART() only requires one argument. What you're using with the format as the 2nd argument was part of the INPUT function in that other example. Just use: 

DOSdate=datepart(BR_DOSBEG);   

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

The DATEPART only takes a single parameter, the variable. 
If you look at the previous function it's actually two functions nested, INPUT() and DATEPART. 

dosdate = datepart(br_dosbeg);

[kiranv_]

Date in your table is already in datetime22.3 and all you need do is use datepart as shown below

data have;
input BR_DOSBEG:DateTime22.3;
format  BR_DOSBEG:DateTime22.3;
datalines;
23MAR2016:00:00:00.000
15FEB2015:00:00:00.000
16FEB2015:00:00:00.000
;

data want;
set have;
format newdate date9.;
newdate=datepart(BR_DOSBEG);
run;

[ballardw]

https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/Working-with-Dates-and-Times-in-SAS-Tutorial/... has a PDF with much information about manipulating dates.