How to use datepart and format in date9.

[graham114]

I've been using this data step to try and get the date from a datetime format (SELLSTARTDATE):

data sorted_table (keep= productid color SELLSTARTDATE);
set sorted;
SELLSTART=datepart(SELLSTARTDATE);
format SELLSTART date9.;
run;

It does not create a SELLSTART column or format it in date9.

Thanks

[RW9]

On your keep= line you do not specify to keep sellstart, hence its not in the output dataset.  Also avoid coding in captials it really makes reading code harder.

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

You put KEEP= in the wrong place.  It belongs on the SET statement:

data sorted_table;
set sorted (keep=product color SELLSTARTDATE);

While KEEP= can be used in either place, it belongs on the SET statement for this particular DATA step.  On the DATA statement, it limits the variables that become part of the new data set.