Date:         Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:09:38 -0400
Reply-To:     "Howard Schreier <hs AT dc-sug DOT org>"
              <schreier.junk.mail@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Howard Schreier <hs AT dc-sug DOT org>"
              <schreier.junk.mail@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Apply format without running data step

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:30:01 -0700, z <gzuckier@SNAIL-MAIL.NET> wrote:

>On Jun 24, 4:21 pm, Paul <paulvonhip...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I'd like to apply a format to a couple of variable. Usually I've done
>> it like this:
>>
>> data mydata;
>>  set mydata;
>>  format mydate yourdate date9.;
>> run;
>>
>> But it's slow to run the data step when all I need to do is format a
>> couple of variables. Is there a quicker way to do this (ideally within
>> PROC SQL)?
>>
>> Thanks --
>> Paul
>
>don't know if it can be done in sql;

The ALTER statement is for this sort of thing.

>kind of thing i used to use prod
>datasets for:
>
>proc datasets lib=whateveryourlibisnamed nolist;
>modify mydata;
> format mydate yourdate date9.;
>quit;
>run;
>
>since you're just hitting the data description and not the data
>itself, it obviously runs quickly.