String Variable Length from Assignment Statement-- 200?

[dwasch1]

I am confused by the variable length assigned to newvar in the following code:

data carstemp;
Set sashelp.cars;
newvar=catx(make,model,'');
run;

newvar is assigned a length of 200 in the temporary table. What is the logic behind this length value? I had assumed length would either adopt the value from the variables make or model, or perhaps be assigned the standard 8.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Maxim 1: Read the Documentation, section "Length of Returned Variable".