Ellen,

The SAS date internally is not anything like the text xx/xx/xxxx as you think. It is just a number actually: the number of days since 1 January 1960. So in order to obtain the xx/xx/xxxx text form you have to specify a proper date format with the PUT function, not just a character format.

Regards - Jim. -- Y. (Jim) Groeneveld, MSc IMRO TRAMARKO tel. +31 412 407 070 senior statistician, P.O. Box 1 fax. +31 412 407 080 head IT department 5350 AA BERGHEM IMRO TRAMARKO: a CRO J.Groeneveld@ITGroups.com the Netherlands in clinical research

My computer seems more ²°°°-compatible than I am myself.

> -----Original Message----- > From: EMRAIN [SMTP:emrain@AOL.COM] > Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2000 3:34 PM > To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > Subject: Making a SAS date a character string > > Hi all, > > I need to know how to make a SAS date (xx/xx/xxxx) into a character string > while retaining the xx/xx/xxxx form. I have used the put function to > convert, > but I get back the sas numeric for that date in a character format. > Help!!! > > Ellen