Date:         Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:04:06 +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: A miserable time with my dates
Comments: To: shanks.n@GMAIL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <umz830xsu.fsf@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Shanks ,

>>why is ddmmyyyy8. not accepted as an informat?

Because there is not an informat with that name.  The ddmmyyW.  informat
does all the work, all you the programmer need know is the name of the right
informat and the width of your data going into that informat.   If you go to
the online docs and search for:  Informats : "Informats by Category"
Scroll down the list to the date section and peruse it you will see all the
default informats.



Toby Dunn

When everything is coming at you all at once, your in the wrong lane.

A truly happy person is someone who can smile and enjoy the scenery on a
detour.





From: Shanks N <shanks.n@GMAIL.COM>
Reply-To: Shanks N <shanks.n@GMAIL.COM>
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: A miserable time with my dates
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:17:13 +0530

So, there was this girl I was looking forward to meet.....

HALT!


why is ddmmyyyy8. not accepted as an informat?
------------------------------
data tmp;
informat dateScheduled ddmmyyyy8.;
input dateScheduled ;
cards;
10102006
11102006
01012006
;
run;

bombs but this one works.

------------------------------
data tmp1;
input dateScheduled $ ;
tmpdte=input(dateScheduled,ddmmyy8.);
put tmpdte= ddmmyyd8.;
cards;
10102006
11102006
01012006
;
run;
------------------------------

& so does this, which in my opinion is misleading, the ddmmyy8. part.
It could have meant a separator too, which is also allowed.
------------------------------
data tmp2;
informat dateScheduled ddmmyy8.;
input dateScheduled ;
put dateScheduled =date9.;
cards;
10102006
11102006
01012006
02-02-06
;
run;
------------------------------

I spent a good hour poring over the help documents to know that this
ddmmyyyy8. format is NOT supported.  I must be having an issue
understanding the notation(ddmm...), width and separator semantics
because ddmmyy6. seems right, ddmmyyyy8. is not?


Forget the girls, do let me know why the standard commonwealth date is
not picked up in an intuitive way.

regards,
Shanks
--