Date:         Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:15:53 -0400
Reply-To:     Steve Alspach <salspach@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Steve Alspach <salspach@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Linking variables to formats

Hello all,

First, thanks for the input on my earlier question about getting values and
value labels to appear in output.  I can put those solutions to good use.

Where I work, there is a number of large datasets that are off-site.  We
use JCL to capture them.  One of the lines of JCL is to reference a SAS
format library.

When I do a simple run, SAS knows where to find the format library through
the JCL - I get that.  What I don't get is how variables link to different
formats.

EXAMPLE:

I run a PROC CONTENTS and I get this output:

Variable      Type    Len    Format      Informat      Label
FY08          Num      1     YESNOL.                   Case in FY 08?

And I run a PROC FREQ on this variable:

PROC FREQ data=dd1.mydata;
  table fy08;
run;

I get output that shows the frequency of responses, but SAS displays the
value labels ("No" and "Yes").

HOW DOES SAS KNOW TO LINK THE FY08 VARIABLE TO THE YESNOL FORMAT IN THE
FORMAT LIBRARY?  I take it that someone, in building the data files, issued
some sort of command that said "when you use the variable FY08, go to the
format library, find the YESNOL format, and use that format for that
variable."  But how?

Thanks in advance for any help, input, advice, etc.

Steve Alspach
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
Hines IL 60141