Date:         Sat, 5 May 2012 13:41:02 +0000
Reply-To:     "Zdeb, Michael S" <mzdeb@ALBANY.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Zdeb, Michael S" <mzdeb@ALBANY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: What is the safest format to use in the PUT function? XXXX
Comments: To: Dan Abner <dan.abner99@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAPRGo-ksTPWu+upoGdE485nsTC1muZxGJgSJHDnYrFOt-OsNUg@mail.gmail.com>
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Hi ... there was some recent discussion of this topic on the list.  I agree with data _null_ ... HEX16.

Take a look at a test ... http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1204D&L=sas-l&P=R8643

HEX16. retained the value of constant('pi') even over a numeric-2-character-2-numeric conversion
(same with 1/3 ).

Mike Zdeb
U@Albany School of Public Health
One University Place (Room 119)
Rensselaer, New York 12144-3456
P/518-402-6479 F/630-604-1475

________________________________________
From: SAS(r) Discussion [SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Dan Abner [dan.abner99@GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 7:18 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: What is the safest format to use in the PUT function? XXXX

Hi everyone,

This is most likely an elementary question, but:

If I am converting a large number of numeric variable values to
character values programmatically, what is the safest format to use in
the PUT function? In other words, the width and decimal precision of
these numeric variables may vary greatly and I don't want to
misrepresent any of them when they are converted to character values.

Thanks!

Dan