How to Convert a Character Variable to MMDDYYYY Date?

[SAS_learneromg]

I have variable, test date, that is written as "2021-01-01" and was formatted as a character variable in the file I have. How can I format it to be a date variable, 01012021?

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

One creating a new variable with an INPUT statement and assign appropriate format.

data example;
   x="2021-01-01" ;
   y= input(x,yymmdd10.);
   format y mmddyyn8.;
run;

There are a large number of SAS supplied date formats and you can roll your own with Proc Format for date values if you can't find one you like/want. the N in the MMDDYYN is to indicate "no separator" between month, day and year.

I have to guess that you want Month first as your shown example of 01012021 does not clearer indicate if the first position is a month or day value. If by chance you want day first there is a similar DDMMYYN format available.

[Tom]

A FORMAT in SAS is instructions for how to display values as text.  There is no FORMAT that will display a character string as a date.

You could use an INPUT() function with an INFORMAT (informats are instructions for converting  text into values) to make a new variable that has a date value.  You could then attach a format to that to have it print in the style you want.  

actual_date=input('test date'n,yymmdd10.);
format actual_date mmddyyn8. ;

If you would rather replace the text string in your 'test date'n variable then you could use the PUT() function with the MMDDYYn8. format to to store a string in MMDDYYYY style back into the original character variable.  But it wouldn't be a date value.