If your input data set is formatted, the formats carry through to the end. So format your main data set with all the variables FIRST and it'll carry through to the end. ie data main; set original; format var1 fVar1. var2 fVar2. ......; run; Now you select the 35 you want: data subset; set main; keep <list of variables to keep>; run; The formats will flow through and you don't have to selectively apply it. If that won't work for some reason, then you can also create a master table with a list of the variables and formats. Variable Format Var1 fVar1 Var2 fVar2 .... Then query it to build your format statement dynamically. proc sql noprint; select cats(" ", variable, catt(format, ".")) into :format_list separated by " " from master_list; quit; data final_data; set ....; format &format_list; run; ... View more

Hi @Noomen  No worries at all. Assuming you have posted a representative sample for us, the solution seems rather simple as the following. Please see if this helps. DATA have; texto="DURING UNLOADING, IT WAS FOUND THAT A TRUCK with UN3098 (HYDROGEN PEROXIDESPILLED)"; output; texto="While in transit, product UN1258 spilled"; output; run; data want; set have; product=prxchange('s/(.*)(UN\d{4})(.*)/$2/i', -1, texto); run; proc print noobs;run; texto product DURING UNLOADING, IT WAS FOUND THAT A TRUCK with UN3098 (HYDROGEN PEROXIDESPILLED) UN3098 While in transit, product UN1258 spilled UN1258   ... View more