Assigning Formats to Variables (3)

Formatting Variable Values

Assigning Formats to Variables

Permanently Formatting Values

Now that you have the FORMAT statement written, how do you permanently associate the formats with their respective variables? You place the FORMAT statement in the DATA step.

     data perm.aprbills;
        infile aprdata;
        input LastName $8. @10 DateIn mmddyy8. +1
              DateOut mmddyy8. +1 RoomRate 6.
              @35 EquipCost 6.;
        Days=dateout-datein+1;
        RoomCharge=days*roomrate;
        Total=roomcharge+equipcost;
        format datein dateout date9. roomrate 6.2
               roomcharge comma8.2 total dollar9.2;
     run;

When the DATA step is processed, the formats are permanently associated with their respective variables. To view the formats associated with variables in a data set, select the data set in the Explorer window, then display properties for columns.

Column Properties for SAS Data Set Perm.Aprbills

Column Name Type Length Format

LastName Text
8

DateIn Number
8
DATE9.

DateOut Number
8
DATE9.

RoomRate Number
8
6.2

EquipCost Number
8

Days Number
8

RoomCharge Number
8
COMMA8.2

Total Number
8
DOLLAR9.2

Each time a procedure (such as PROC PRINT) accesses the data set, the output displays the formatted values.
proc print data=perm.aprbills; run;

Obs LastName DateIn DateOut RoomRate EquipCost Days RoomCharge Total

1 Akron 05APR1990 09APR1990 175.00 298.45 4 700.00 $998.45

2 Brown 12APR1990 01MAY1990 125.00 326.78 19 2,375.00 $2,701.78

3 Carnes 27APR1990 29APR1990 125.00 174.24 2 250.00 $424.24

4 Denison 11APR1990 12APR1990 175.00 87.41 1 175.00 $262.41

5 Fields 15APR1990 22APR1990 175.00 378.96 7 1,225.00 $1,603.96

6 Jaminson 16APR1990 23APR1990 125.00 346.28 7 875.00 $1,221.28

Obs	LastName	DateIn	DateOut	RoomRate	EquipCost	Days	RoomCharge	Total
1	Akron	05APR1990	09APR1990	175.00	298.45	4	700.00	$998.45
2	Brown	12APR1990	01MAY1990	125.00	326.78	19	2,375.00	$2,701.78
3	Carnes	27APR1990	29APR1990	125.00	174.24	2	250.00	$424.24
4	Denison	11APR1990	12APR1990	175.00	87.41	1	175.00	$262.41
5	Fields	15APR1990	22APR1990	175.00	378.96	7	1,225.00	$1,603.96
6	Jaminson	16APR1990	23APR1990	125.00	346.28	7	875.00	$1,221.28