how many bytes?

[tianerhu]

How many bytes does the variable Q20 in the PDV?

[SASKiwi]

Your question is incomplete so is impossible to answer. If Q20 is a numeric variable then the default storage amount is 8 bytes. If it is character then it would depend on the number of characters being assigned to it. For example this statement - Q20 = 'ABC'; - will create the variable with a length of 3 characters or 3 bytes.  

[tianerhu]

let suppose the Q20 is character variable .

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

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@tianerhu wrote:

let suppose the Q20 is character variable .

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Run Proc Contents on the data set, look at the LENGTH for the variable.

[SASKiwi]

The number of bytes used by a character variable in the PDV will be the same as on disk. As @ballardw suggests PROC CONTENTS will give you the length in characters and that is usually is also the number of bytes.

[tianerhu]

Thank you for your help.

[Tom]

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@SASKiwi wrote:

The number of bytes used by a character variable in the PDV will be the same as on disk. As @ballardw suggests PROC CONTENTS will give you the length in characters and that is usually is also the number of bytes.

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PROC CONTENTS will give you the length in characters bytes and that is usually is also the number of bytes characters.

[tianerhu]

Thank you for your help.

[SASKiwi]

@tianerhu  - If you are happy with the responses to your post please mark the best response as answering your question.