proc format; picture fmt low-high='%0Y-%0m-%0d %0H:%0M:%0s'(datatype=datetime); run; data have; datetime='20MAR2025:00:00:00.000000'dt; format datetime fmt.; call symputx('datetime',put(datetime,fmt.)); run; %put &=datetime.; ... View more

THANK YOU!!!  This finally worked (and yes, I double, triple checked this time around:-) ).  Using unformatted macro vars was the key.  It worked fine without trimming the spaces.   ... View more

mkeintz, that WORKED!  Thank YOU!!!!!!! I took the easy way out initially and set the zip codes to numeric in the source table (because US zips don't contain characters) and it seemed to run faster than when they were set as a character variable.  Not sure if there is a rational explanation for this or if I was just imagining things :-).  Regardless, this ran at an incredibly faster rate than without using HASH tables.  Thanks once again.  ... View more