Using asis=on in a footnote statement ?

[GreggB]

 I'm using PROC REPORT and outputting a pdf file using ODS. I want to preserve the blanks. For example, the 1 should be centered under Standard.

my output:

my footnote statements:

footnote1 height=9pt "Standard             Grade 3                        Grade 4–5                   Grade 6                Grade 7                Grade 8";
footnote2 height=9pt "    1           Number Sense and Base Ten      Number Sense and Base Ten   The Number System      The Number System      The Number System";

[SuzanneDorinski · Accepted solution]

Usage Note 23332: Keeping leading and trailing blank spaces in titles and footnotes using ODS shows how to modify the style template.  I think you'll need to use a fixed width font to get the text to line up the way it's typed in the program editor.  

* http://support.sas.com/kb/23/332.html shows how to update style 
* template for HTML or RTF.  similar logic for PDF. ;

proc template;
  define style styles.modified_Pearl;
    parent=styles.Pearl;
    style systemfooter from systemfooter 
      "Style element responsible for footnotes" / 
        asis=on;
  end;
run;

options orientation=landscape nodate;

* probably need to use fixed width font on footnotes to get text to line up
* as intended. ;

ODS PDF FILE='/folders/myfolders/ODS PDF/PDF with blanks preserved in footnotes.PDF'
  style=modified_Pearl;

proc report data=sashelp.class nowd;
  columns name age sex height weight;
footnote1 font=Courier height=9pt "Standard           Grade 3                    Grade 4–5                 Grade 6             Grade 7             Grade 8     ";
footnote2 font=Courier height=9pt "    1      Number Sense and Base Ten   Number Sense and Base Ten   The Number System   The Number System   The Number System";
run;

ODS PDF CLOSE;

Screen shot of the footnotes with the blanks preserved in PDF