How do I Convert Number to Character

[Djones4822]

I've seen this posted, but I've never seen a real answer - how do I convert a number to a character in SASVA?

I have a table where the data is loaded with a field as numeric but should really be character. This is a production table and the datatype cannot be changed at the source. It's also a very large table, so I don't want to have to create a staging table in order to do this (this is the only field that I need to change, I don't want to have to update a new table every time this report is ran). 

I cannot seem to make a calculated expression work that converts the number to a character. I've tried TreatAs() which didn't work (only treats a numeric as a different numeric type or datetype) and format() isn't recognizing any of the formats I give it (I don't think format converts types though).

What am I missing? Thnks!

[FredrikE · Accepted solution]

Try using Format:

[VivekRathod]

1. I had a data of 800gb, but the user has loaded it on lasr, and the column trdng_wk_end was having the values in number 20170112.

2. To create a date out of 20170112 kind of numbers follow the following.

2. create a new calculated item.  I used the combination of functions.

mdy - outer shell

parse - first inner shell

substr - second inner shell

format - inner most inner shell

My case:

DateFromMDY(Parse(Substring(Format('TRDNG_WK_END_DT'n, 'BEST2.'), 5, 2), 'COMMA2.'), Parse(Substring(Format('TRDNG_WK_END_DT'n, 'BEST2.'), 7, 2), 'COMMA2.'),

Parse(Substring(Format('TRDNG_WK_END_DT'n, 'BEST4.'), 1, 4), 'COMMA4.'))

Thanks

Madhusudhan

SAS Administrator 

Landmark Group