VARFMT Function

VARFMT Function

Returns the format assigned to a SAS data set variable

Category: SAS File I/O

Syntax

VARFMT ( data-set-id , var-num )

Arguments

data-set-id

• specifies the data set identifier that the OPEN function returns.

var-num

• specifies the number of the variable's position in the SAS data set.

• Tip: This number is next to the variable in the list that is produced by the CONTENTS procedure.

• Tip: The VARNUM function returns this number.

Details

If no format has been assigned to the variable, a blank string is returned.

Examples

Example 1: Using VARFMT to Obtain the Format of the Variable NAME

This example obtains the format of the variable NAME in the SAS data set MYDATA.

 %let dsid=%sysfunc(open(mydata,i));  %if &dsid %then     %do;        %let fmt=%sysfunc(varfmt(&dsid,                          %sysfunc(varnum                          (&dsid,NAME))));        %let rc=%sysfunc(close(&dsid));     %end; 

Example 2: Using VARFMT to Obtain the Format of all the Numeric Variables in a Data Set

This example creates a data set that contains the name and formatted content of each numeric variable in the SAS data set MYDATA.

 data vars;     length name $ 8 content $ 12;     drop dsid i num rc fmt;     dsid=open("mydata","i");     num=attrn(dsid,"nvars");     do while (fetch(dsid)=0);        do i=1 to num;           name=varname(dsid,i);           if (vartype(dsid,i)='N') then do;              fmt=varfmt(dsid,i);              if fmt=" then fmt="BEST12.";              content=putc(putn(getvarn                          (dsid,i),fmt),"$char12.");              output;              end;        end;     end;     rc=close(dsid);  run; 

See Also

Functions:

• 'VARINFMT Function' on page 872

• 'VARNUM Function' on page 877