Convert character to date

[ywon111]

I have a Start date variable as a category and want to turn into a date. Have used RemoveChars to remove the strings but how to convert it to a proper date so it can be sorted correctly?

Start date	Want
05/04/2021 (abc)	5/04/2021
05/04/2021 (abc)	5/04/2021

Thanks

[sas_it]

Following method can be used to solve the issue :

date_n=input(substr(start_date,1,10),mmyydd10.);

format date_n date9.; 

[ywon111]

Have used the Substring operator as below but because it's a character the sorting doesn't quite work correctly as dates -

Substring('Start date'n, 1, 10)

Sorry, but I am referring to SAS VA not EG, is there a way to fix in VA?

Thanks

[SASKiwi · Accepted solution]

It would be better to fix this before it is loaded into VA using the methods already given 

[Kurt_Bremser]

Data needs to be cleaned before it goes to VA. VA is for analytics, not for ETL.

And date values HAVE to be stored as such when data is imported into SAS.

[Astounding]

A simpler method:

data want;
   set have;
   want_date = input(start_date, mmdyy10.);
   format want_date mmddyys10.;
run;