Date Expression	Interpreted As
12/07/41	12/07/1941
18Dec15	18Dec2015
04/15/30	04/15/1930
15Apr95	15Apr1995

However, you can override the default and change the value of YEARCUTOFF= to the first year of another 100-year span. For example, if you specify that YEARCUTOFF=1950, then the 100-year span will be from 1950 to 2049.

Date Expression	Interpreted As
12/07/41	12/07/2041
18Dec15	18Dec2015
04/15/30	04/15/2030
15Apr95	15Apr1995

Specifying YEARCUTOFF= Using Programming Statements As you learned earlier in the lesson Setting Up Your SAS Session, there are two methods for editing a system option. To use programming statements, you can submit an OPTIONS statement.

General form, OPTIONS statement with YEARCUTOFF= option: OPTIONS YEARCUTOFF=yyyy; where yyyy is the four-digit value of the first year of the chosen 100-year span. You can save this statement with your SAS program so it will run automatically each time you submit your program.

Specifying YEARCUTOFF= Using SAS Windows Or, you can set the YEARCUTOFF= option in the SAS System Options window. To open this window, select Tools Options System Open the Input control option group, the Data Processing option group, and the YEARCUTOFF= option. Then specify a new value for YEARCUTOFF=. Regardless of how you edit the YEARCUTOFF= system option, the effect is global. In other words, the new value that you assign remains in effect until you change it or end the SAS session.