Use a dataset to provide the format to an argument for a put statement

[dewittme]

I have a data set that looks like this:

Where "response" is a formatted column (actual values are numeric: 1,2, 3). I have the correct format in the "format" column, as text. 

I would like to do something like

DATA desired;

    SET current_data;

    question_fmt = put(response, format);

RUN;

Here I want the format supplied to the put argument to come from the format column. IS there a way to do this?

[Kurt_Bremser]

Please post data in a usable form (hint: pictures ar NOT useful). See my footnotes.

[Oligolas · Accepted solution]

Hi,

you can use the vvalue function (Returns by Default a $200 length if not specified)

DATA desired;
    SET current_data;
    question_fmt = vvalue(Response);
RUN;

[dewittme]

This is exactly the function I needed

Thank you!

[RW9]

Post test data in the form of a datastep and what you want to see out.  How are you going to store the output text with the format, as formats apply to the whole variable?  You could use a text field of course.

I suspect what you are after is the putc and putn functions.  Then you pass the variable, the format name, and optionally length across:

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/lrdict/64316/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a000212562.htm