Creating User-Defined Formats (3)

Formatting Variable Values

Creating User-Defined Formats

Now, any format you create in this PROC FORMAT step is stored in a permanent format catalog called Library.Formats.

     libname library 'c:\sas\formats\lib';
     proc format library=library
        . . .;
     run;

In the program above, the catalog Library.Formats is located in the SAS library C:\Sas\Formats\Lib, which is referenced by the libref Library.

Notice that LIB= is an acceptable abbreviation for the LIBRARY= option.

     proc format lib=library;

Also notice that you can specify a catalog name in the LIBRARY= option, and store formats in any catalog you want. The catalog name must adhere to SAS naming conventions.

     proc format lib=library.catalog;

Now that you know how to store your own formats, let's see how to create them.

Defining a Unique Format

The VALUE statement defines a format for displaying one or more values.

General form, VALUE statement:

VALUE name range-1='label-1'
<...range-n='label-n'>;

where the format's name

must begin with a dollar sign ($) if it applies to a character variable, and it cannot be longer than eight characters
cannot be the name of a SAS format
cannot end with a number
does not end in a period when specified in a VALUE statement.

Notice that the statement begins with the keyword VALUE and ends with a semicolon after all the labels have been defined. For example, this single VALUE statement creates the JobFmt format, which assigns a label to each possible value for the variable JobTitle.
proc format lib=library; value JobFmt 103='manager' 105='text processor' 111='assoc. technical writer' 112='technical writer' 113='senior technical writer'; run;

FirstName LastName JobTitle Salary

Donny Evans 112 29996.63

Lisa Helms 105 18567.23

John Higgins 111 25309.00

Amy Larson 113 32696.78

Mary Moore 112 28945.89

Jason Powell 103 35099.50

FirstName	LastName	JobTitle	Salary
Donny	Evans	112	29996.63
Lisa	Helms	105	18567.23
John	Higgins	111	25309.00
Amy	Larson	113	32696.78
Mary	Moore	112	28945.89
Jason	Powell	103	35099.50