How do I display data in YYYYMMDD format?

[opoudyal0]

How do I display date in the YYYYMMDD format? Like 1960/02/21.

[Kurt_Bremser]

The yymmdd format is what you are looking for.

data test;
datevar = date();
format datevar yymmdd10.;
run;

[Astounding]

I can't test it right now, but you should be able to control the separator as well:

format datevar yymmdds10.;

format datevar yymmddd10.;

s = slash

d = dash

[Kurt_Bremser]

---

@Astounding wrote:

I can't test it right now, but you should be able to control the separator as well:

format datevar yymmdds10.;

format datevar yymmddd10.;

s = slash

d = dash

---

The default separator for the YYMMDD format is the dash or hyphen.

Possible separators for the extended version of the format (as @Astounding posted) are

n no separator

b blank

d dash

s slash

p period

c colon

[opoudyal0]

What about if my date is a character variable and not numeric? For example: I have 11/5/1969 read in as character and I need to change it to the YYYYMMDD format.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Depending on the format, do

datvar = input(stringvar,ddmmyy10.);

or

datvar = input(stringvar,mmddyy10.);

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

If you want to continue to use the same variable name, you need to output the result as character.  For example:

datevar = put ( input(datevar, mmddyy10.), yymmdds10. );