proc format PICTURE statement: to add a prefix to only certain values

[Varrelle]

I want to display a simple pre-fix for decimal numbers contained within a variable based on the value of those decimal numbers.

I have a series of numbers on [0,1). if the numbers are less than 0.001, then I want the number to display as '<.001'.  Otherwise, I want to display the original value with an equal sign in front of it ('=[original number]');

I provide a sample dataset as well as the code that I used to try to accomplish this task. 

The PRINT procedure output shows that I am partly there, but not quite.  Basically, to get what I am after, the output would need to   display '<0.001' instead of '<0.000' for the first 2 observations. The last 3 observations output the way I want them to.

Hope some one can help me.

Thanks.

proc format;
picture numbers
low-<.001 = '000009.999'(prefix='<' mult=1000)
.001-high = '000009.999'(prefix='=' mult=1000);
run;

data have;
   input numbers;
   datalines;
0.0000
0.0001
0.0010
0.0200
0.0500
;

proc print data=have;
format numbers numbers.;
run;

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

PICTURE formats support the NOEDIT option:

http://documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=proc&docsetTarget=p0n990vq8gxca6n1vnsracr6jp2c.htm&docsetVers...

So you could code your format in this (untested) fashion:

proc format;
picture numbers
low-<.001 = '<.001' (noedit)
.001-high = '000009.999'(prefix='=' mult=1000);
run;

You may need to play with the spacing to get all values to line up properly.

[Varrelle]

Hi.

Thanks for your help -- your solution worked perfectly for me.