SAS - set quarter/year (written in YYYY QQ format) in proper SAS format

[adrfinance]

I have a variable called qy that looks like:

2008 Q1

2008 Q1

2009 Q2

2009 Q2

2009 Q3

2009 Q4

2009 Q4

2009 Q4

How can I set it in proper SAS format?

[PeterClemmensen]

What do you consider a 'proper' SAS format?

Also, is this a character variable?

[adrfinance]

How do I view whether it is a character variable?

[PeterClemmensen]

in the "Alphabetic List of Variables and Attributes" section of the output from 

proc contents data=YourDataSetHere;
run;

[adrfinance]

It says it is a character

[PeterClemmensen · Accepted solution]

Ok. Do like this then

data have;
input qy $&;
datalines;
2008 Q1
2008 Q1
2009 Q2
2009 Q2
2009 Q3
2009 Q4
2009 Q4
2009 Q4
;

data want;
    set have;
    dt=input(compress(qy), yyq7.);
    format dt date9.;
run;

Result:

qy      dt
2008 Q1 01JAN2008
2008 Q1 01JAN2008
2009 Q2 01APR2009
2009 Q2 01APR2009
2009 Q3 01JUL2009
2009 Q4 01OCT2009
2009 Q4 01OCT2009
2009 Q4 01OCT2009

[adrfinance]

My initial dataset has over 8000 rows but when I run your code it gets reduced to only 10 rows.. Why is this the case? How can I fix it?

[PeterClemmensen]

What does your log say?

[ballardw]

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@adrfinance wrote:

My initial dataset has over 8000 rows but when I run your code it gets reduced to only 10 rows.. Why is this the case? How can I fix it?

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Copy the code with the messages from the LOG. Paste into a code box opened on the forum using the {I} icon.

Why? Need code and info that will be in the log.