How to convert numeric value to SAS date

[sy12345]

Hello, 

I am using SAS 9.3 and I have a variable "DATEOFDIAGNOSIS". When I look in the Column Attributes of the Viewtable, it has a format of BEST12. informat of BEST32., length is 8, and type is numeric (Example: 20090930). I would like to change this variable into a SAS date value, so I can use it to do date calculations. I want to have it in date9. informat. 

I tried a bunch of different code after researching and in some cases, only some of the dates converted and others were left blank. 

I tried the following codes and did not work: 

data demo2;
set demo;
DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 = input (put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS, 12.), yymmdd8.);
format DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 YYMMDD8.;
run;

data radtumorreg3;
set radtumorreg2;
char_var = put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS,12.);
sas_date = input (char_var, mmddyy8.);
format sas_date date8.;
run;

Thank you!

[RW9 · Accepted solution]

As you will see on every post here, post some test data in the form of a datastep.  The code I provide below works fine, so what "does not work"?

data have;
  date_num=20090930;
  date_var=input(put(date_num,best8.),yymmdd8.);
  format date_var date9.;
run;

[sy12345]

Thank you very much! Worked like a charm!

[data_null__]

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@sy12345 wrote:

Hello, 

I am using SAS 9.3 and I have a variable "DATEOFDIAGNOSIS". When I look in the Column Attributes of the Viewtable, it has a format of BEST12. informat of BEST32., length is 8, and type is numeric (Example: 20090930). I would like to change this variable into a SAS date value, so I can use it to do date calculations. I want to have it in date9. informat. 

I tried a bunch of different code after researching and in some cases, only some of the dates converted and others were left blank. 

I tried the following codes and did not work: 

data demo2;
set demo;
DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 = input (put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS, 12.), yymmdd8.);
format DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 YYMMDD8.;
run;

data radtumorreg3;
set radtumorreg2;
char_var = put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS,12.);
sas_date = input (char_var, mmddyy8.);
format sas_date date8.;
run;

Thank you!

---

The problem is you are using w=12 in the PUT and that is RIGHT justified.  When you read CHAR_VAR with MMDDYY8 it only reads the first 8 characters 4 of which are blank.

Change 12 to 8 or use the justification modifier 12.-L 

[ballardw]

---

@sy12345 wrote:

Hello, 

I am using SAS 9.3 and I have a variable "DATEOFDIAGNOSIS". When I look in the Column Attributes of the Viewtable, it has a format of BEST12. informat of BEST32., length is 8, and type is numeric (Example: 20090930). I would like to change this variable into a SAS date value, so I can use it to do date calculations. I want to have it in date9. informat. 

I tried a bunch of different code after researching and in some cases, only some of the dates converted and others were left blank. 

I tried the following codes and did not work: 

data demo2;
set demo;
DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 = input (put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS, 12.), yymmdd8.);
format DATEOFDIAGNOSIS2 YYMMDD8.;
run;

data radtumorreg3;
set radtumorreg2;
char_var = put(DATEOFDIAGNOSIS,12.);
sas_date = input (char_var, mmddyy8.);
format sas_date date8.;
run;

Thank you!

---

If you have 8 digits why did you put 12? That adds 4 blank spaces at the begining of the character value. The mmddyy Informat starts reading at the first position of the character value which is blank and hence invalid.

[sy12345]

I didn't know about that. I just saw that the format was in "BEST12." so I thought I had to match that. Thank you for the info though!