Defining Column Attributes (3)

Creating Enhanced List and Summary Reports

Defining Column Attributes

Specifying Column Widths

In the previous example of SAS listing output, you might have noticed that several headings were wrapped over two lines. (In HTML output, the longest cell value determines the column width, so wrapping doesn't occur.)

If a variable in the input data set doesn't have a format associated with it, the default PROC REPORT column width is

the variable's length for character variables
9 for numeric variables.

The character variables Flight, Orig, and Dest each have a length of 3, and no format is associated with them. So 3 is their default column width.

Partial PROC REPORT Output, SAS Listing

Fli
ght   Ori
  g   Des
  t Mail Freight Revenue

821   LGA   LON         403         209   $150,634.00
271   LGA   PAR         492         308   $156,804.00
271   LGA   PAR         366         498   $190,098.00
821   LGA   LON         345         243   $150,634.00
821   LGA   LON         248         307   $193,930.00

To specify a width for columns in your report, use the WIDTH= attribute in the DEFINE statement. You can specify values from 1 to the value of the LINESIZE= system option.
The WIDTH= attribute has no effect on HTML output.

Example
To specify column widths that accommodate the column headings for Flight, Orig, and Dest, you can use the following DEFINE statements in your PROC REPORT step:
proc report data=flights.europe nowd; where dest in ('LON','PAR'); column flight orig dest mail freight revenue; define revenue / format=dollar15.2; define flight / width=6; define orig / width=4; define dest / width=4; run;
Now the headings appear on one line.

Partial PROC REPORT Output, SAS Listing

Flight	Orig	Dest	Mail	Freight	Revenue
821	LGA	LON	403	209	$150,634.00
271	LGA	PAR	492	308	$156,804.00
271	LGA	PAR	366	498	$190,098.00
821	LGA	LON	345	243	$150,634.00
821	LGA	LON	248	307	$193,930.00