date variable

[Tawfiq]

Hi,

Can someone tell me how to create a new variable named 'End_of_study' in the format 31/12/2012, which has to be the same for all entries/rows.

Regards,

[LinusH · Accepted solution]

This question, and a lot more, can be learned in the free online SAS Programming course.

[Astounding]

data want;

set have;

retain End_of_Study '31Dec2012'd;

format End_of_Study ddmmyys10.;

run;

[ballardw]

Data want;

    set have;

    End_of_study = '31DEC2012'd;

    format End_of_study ddmmyy10.;

run;

Note that SAS only accepts one way to assign a date literal if you want to use it as a date value allowing use of the various date functions and formats.

Otherwise use a character value any way you want it.

[Tawfiq]

Thanks all of you for the support.

I've come accross another question. I've imported a date variable from excell; but the format for the date variable is in text and perhaps this is why the missing values are not marked in "." BUT are just blank cells in SAS Viewtable.

I appreciate if someone can advise on how to format the text to sas date value (such as 01/12/2011)

Cheers,

Tawfiq

[Reeza]

What do,the date values look like now? 

It would be something like:

new_var = input (date_var, current_format.);

formate new_var ddmmyy10.;

[Tawfiq]

Hi Reeza,

The variable is Last_date (see below). It's format is $10. My purpose is to
change it to numeric so that the blank rows will be filled with (.) or
missing values and the date format (ddmmyy10.) would allow me to use this
variable for creating new vars.


Last_date

01/12/2011

05/08/2010


I used

LRec_date=input (Last_date, $10.);
format LRec_date ddmmyy10.;

BUT the error message is this (The format $ddmmyy was not found or could
not be loaded)

[ballardw]

Your code:

LRec_date=input (Last_date, $10.);
format LRec_date ddmmyy10.;

Creates a text variable, that is what input using the informat $10. does.

Try

LRec_date=input (Last_date, ddmmyy10.);
format LRec_date ddmmyy10.;

[Tawfiq]

Hi,

It works. Thanks for the help!

[Reeza]

@Tawfiq Sorry, current format, means how it currently appears ie mmddyy, not the $10. 

@ballardw solution is correct. 

[Reeza]

Just a heads up to the free SAS training available that has been alluded to:

http://support.sas.com/training/tutorial/