How to convert SAS date to character YYYY-MM in one step?

[David_Billa]

I've one field called 'Calendar_Month' and it is in date9. Format and I want to convert that field to character and the value should appear like YYYY-MM.

Ex:

AS IS:

Calendar_Month (numeric with date9. format)

07Jan2020

TO BE:

Calendar_Month (Need in character)

2020-01

[David_Billa]

Could you please tell me how to convert the field which has SAS date value (07JAN2020) to character field YYYY-MM (2020-01) in one step?

[s_lassen · Accepted solution]

You can use the YYMMd format:

str=put(date,yymmd7.);

The "d" in the format name modifies the output to use a dash separator.

[PeterClemmensen]

like this?

data test;
    dt='07JAN2020'd;
    dtnew=put(dt, yymmd.);
run;

[FreelanceReinh]

Hello @David_Billa,

Use the YYMMD. format:

data want(drop=_cm);
set have(rename=(Calendar_Month=_cm));
Calendar_Month=put(_cm,yymmd.);
run;

[David_Billa]

Can't we do it without rename statement?

[FreelanceReinh]

You want the new character variable to have the same name as the original numeric variable. The type of an existing variable cannot be changed in place, hence we need two separate variables and different variables must have different names. So, at some point we need to change the old name to a new name (that's what I did with the RENAME= dataset option) or vice versa.

[Kurt_Bremser]

---

@David_Billa wrote:
Can't we do it without rename statement?

---

In fact, @FreelanceReinh does not use a statement, but a dataset option. These are two different things.

[David_Billa]

I meant to say rename option only.

[Kurt_Bremser]

I merged your two, basically identical, questions.