Proc Tabulate Wrong Format in Output File

[trevand]

I am using SAS EG 7.1. The variables that I tabulating have a lot of zeros after the decimal point and I would like to see all decimal points until the first non-zero digit. So I use the format option. The format works fine in the results window. However the output file still shows the scientific notation (e.g. 1.6E-07). How can I make sure the the results and output file have the same format?  

proc tabulate data=example out=out_example (drop=_:) format=20.15;
class year;
var          var1 var2 var3;
table year, (var1 var2 var3)*(mean) (N);
run;

[Kurt_Bremser]

Run PROC DATASETS with a MODIFY and FORMAT statement.

[ballardw]

The Format= option on the Proc statement is not applied to variables in the resulting data set as you have found out. The output data set created variables are assigned BEST12 formats.

You could either a assign a desired format when using the variables in any other procedure or use Proc Datasets to change the default. Something like:

Proc datasets library=work;
   modify out_example ;
      format  var1_mean var2_mean var3_mean 20.15;
   run;
quit;

[Tom · Accepted solution]

If the goal is to make a dataset why use PROC TABULATE?

Use PROC SUMMARY and the formats attached to the variables are carried onto the statistics.  You can even attach formats to the output statistics, but you could get a warning.

Try:

proc tabulate data=sashelp.class out=out_example (drop=_:) ;
  class sex;
  var age height weight ;
  table sex, (age height weight)*(mean*F=7.3) (N*F=7.);
run;

proc contents data=out_example;
run;

proc summary data=sashelp.class nway ;
  class sex;
  var age height weight ;
  output out=out_example2(drop=_type_ rename=(_freq_=N)) mean= / autoname;
  format age 7.3 ;
  format N 7.;
run;

proc contents data=out_example2;
run;

proc compare data=out_example compare=out_example2;
run;