Date:         Thu, 27 Jan 2005 03:48:53 +0000
Reply-To:     toby dunn <tobydunn@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         toby dunn <tobydunn@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: How to check if a format exists?
Comments: To: usenet739_yahoo_com_au@CRONKITE.CC.UGA.EDU
In-Reply-To:  <41f84cbd$0$25515$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Scott,

If I am not mistaken that info is in the meta data tables under
dictionary.formats.....



Toby Dunn




From: Scott <usenet739_yahoo_com_au@CRONKITE.CC.UGA.EDU>
Reply-To: Scott <usenet739_yahoo_com_au@CRONKITE.CC.UGA.EDU>
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: How to check if a format exists?
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:06:52 +1100


Hi,

I'd like to add some error trapping to a macro, trapping for the
(non)existence of a format and gracefully exit rather than having it fall
over in a heap.

What I want is the SCL function rc=format('formatname.','c'), but in open
code or a data _null_ step.  format doesn't appear to be one of the
functions that were made available to the data step or %sysfunc in v8.x.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Scott