You are wanting to create a character format (your start variable is character) ?? You need to tell SAS that fact - as it is SAS is doing a character to numeric conversion

Change RETAIN FMTNAME 'NameToNum' ; To RETAIN FMTNAME 'NameToNum' Type 'C' ;

-----Original Message----- From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Paul A. Thompson Sent: Wednesday, 28 November 2007 7:11 a.m. To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Format question

There's a blank in your dataset, I bet

Paul A. Thompson, Ph.D.

Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine

660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093

314-747-3793

paul@wubios.wustl.edu

_____

From: mpajoh@ODOT.ORG [mailto:mpajoh@ODOT.ORG] Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:12 PM To: Paul A. Thompson Cc: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Format question

Yes, but I could find no repeats.

Masoud

"Paul A. Thompson" <paul@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU> Sent by: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>

11/27/2007 12:00 PM

Please respond to "Paul A. Thompson" <paul@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU>

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Re: Format question

Have you tried to PRINT the data and see which one is repeated?

Paul A. Thompson, Ph.D. Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093 314-747-3793 paul@wubios.wustl.edu

-----Original Message----- From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Masuod Pajoh Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:00 PM To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Format question

The following:

data format; RETAIN FMTNAME 'NameToNum'; input @1 label 2. @5 end $12. @5 start $12.; cards; 1 Adair 2 Alfalfa 3 Atoka 4 Beaver 5 Beckham 6 Blaine 7 Bryan 8 Caddo 9 Canadian 10 Carter 11 Cherokee 12 Choctaw 13 Cimarron 14 Cleveland 15 Coal 16 Comanche 17 Cotton 18 Craig 19 Creek 20 Custer 21 Delaware 22 Dewey 23 Ellis 24 Garfield 25 Garvin 26 Grady 27 Grant 28 Greer 29 Harmon 30 Harper 31 Haskell 32 Hughes 33 Jackson 34 Jefferson 35 Johnston 36 Kay 37 Kingfisher 38 Kiowa 39 Latimer 40 LeFlore 41 Lincoln 42 Logan 43 Love 44 McClain 45 McCurtain 46 McIntosh 47 Major 48 Marshall 49 Mayes 50 Murray 51 Muskogee 52 Noble 53 Nowata 54 Okfuskee 55 Oklahoma 56 Okmulgee 57 Osage 58 Ottawa 59 Pawnee 60 Payne 61 Pittsburg 62 Pontotoc 63 Pottawatomie 64 Pushmataha 65 Roger Mills 66 Rogers 67 Seminole 68 Sequoyah 69 Stephens 70 Texas 71 Tillman 72 Tulsa 73 Wagoner 74 Washington 75 Washita 76 Woods 77 Woodward ; RUN;

PROC FORMAT LIB=Library CNTLIN=FORMAT; RUN;

returns:

514 PROC FORMAT LIB=Library CNTLIN=FORMAT; ERROR: This range is repeated, or values overlap: .- .. 515 RUN;

WARNING: RUN statement ignored due to previous errors. Submit QUIT; to terminate the procedure.

What is this talking about? Any pointer is appreciated.