Determining number of months between two date columns

[mreynaud]

 Hello,

I am attempting to determine the months between many observations between two columns: assign_date and completed_date in SAS EG

From other forums I read it looked like the used the intck function, however, it does not work for me. 

I noticed in most of the examples they used the intck function for two specific dates, not dates in columns. Perhaps that's why I am having errors?

proc print data=work.'test'n;
var  assign_date due_date;
intck('month', assign_date, completed_date);
run;

[ChrisNZ]

You need to assign the value to a variable.

MTHS = intck('month', ASSIGN_DATE, COMPLETED_DATE);

[japelin]

Since you can't use the intck function in the proc step, I think you should first calculate the value in the data step and then output it in the proc print.

[mkeintz · Accepted solution]

You've got the right function, but ...

PROC PRINT will only print variables that already exist in a data set.  It will not print a function derived from other variables.  You will have to create a new variable in DATA step creating a new data set.  Then print variables from that data set.

data new;
  set test;
  nmonths=intck('month',assign_date,completed_date);
run;
proc print data=new;
  var assign_date completed_date nmonths;
run;

[Astounding]

Whenever you use INTCK, you have to decide what it is you want to count.  If the dates represent 01/31/2021 and 02/02/2021, do you want to count that as 1 month?  If so, INTCK is correct (once you follow the suggestions that have been made).

[andreas_lds]

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@Astounding wrote:

Whenever you use INTCK, you have to decide what it is you want to count.  If the dates represent 01/31/2021 and 02/02/2021, do you want to count that as 1 month?  If so, INTCK is correct (once you follow the suggestions that have been made).

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Setting the fourth parameter of intck to "C" (=continuous) should return 0 in such cases.