How to add a calendar to a SAS VA report to input date

[Milan_Singh]

Hi All,

The requirement is as following :-

User wants a calendar as an input instead of the textbox that we have given at the moment.

So query is :-

How do we add a calendar because as far as I know we don't have such control in SAS VA? So, if we instead use a slider to  input the date, how can I pass that value to a parameter as we are passing all the inputted values through paramters in our stored process? Slider would have two end point values, while I need just one.

Pls let me know if the scenario isn't clear enough.

Thanks

Milan

[Kurt_Bremser]

I have no experience with VA, but in all definable prompts for the SAS software one can define the prompt as a date prompt, and then SAS automatically gives the option of a calendar.

[Milan_Singh]

Hi Kurt,

Can you please explain how exactly?

Also, my case is a little different. Actually, all the options from where user has to select the values are placed in a horizontal container and not  a prompt really. We are using text boxes to let user enter the values and then passing it to stored process.

Thanks

Milan

[MichelleHomes · Accepted solution]

Hi Milan,

As you have discovered there is no calendar prompt in SAS Visual Analytics and only the slider control. Having said that though, you may be interested to use a text input and use a date parameter instead as @Renato_sas shares in his post, Date parameters in SAS Visual Analytics.

Kind Regards,

Michelle

[Milan_Singh]

Hi Michelle,

I am sure you are my life-saver here. I am unable to understand one thing though. 

When the article mentions - "The first thing you need to do is transform your date element into a character. This can be easily accomplished by using the Format() function. The Format() function takes two parameters: the value to be formatted and the format."

Does that mean that column while being displayed on the left pane as a category should itself be a character and not a date? We have to convert date to character and then list it? 

Because currently I have start_dt column as of datetime datatype and that doesn't allow me to use REPLACE function as that supposedly has to be happen on characters.

Looking forward to your reply.

Thanks a lot for such an insightful post!

Regards

Milan

[Milan_Singh]

Hi Michelle,

I am sure you are my life-saver here. I am unable to understand one thing though. 

When the article mentions - "The first thing you need to do is transform your date element into a character. This can be easily accomplished by using the Format() function. The Format() function takes two parameters: the value to be formatted and the format."

Does that mean that column while being displayed on the left pane as a category should itself be a character and not a date? We have to convert date to character in SAS EG itself and then list it on SAS VA? 

Because currently I have start_dt column as of datetime datatype and that doesn't allow me to use REPLACE function as that supposedly has to be happen on characters.

Looking forward to your reply.

Thanks a lot for such an insightful post!

Regards

Milan

[Milan_Singh]

Thanks, Michelle. My issue is resolved with your help.

[MichelleHomes]

Good to hear Milan.

Please consider marking my response as the solution rather than your follow up question so it helps others who come across the post in future.

Kind Regards,

Michelle

[Milan_Singh]

Hi Michelle,

Sorry I didn't notice that. I have marked it now.

Thanks

Milan