ARS | Publication request: HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND USE CALENDAR DATES

Submitted to: Proceedings of SAS Users Group
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: August 1, 2005
Publication Date: September 11, 2005
Citation: Tooker, M.E. 2005. How to recognize and use calendar dates [abstract]. Proceedings of 18th Annual Northeast SAS Users Group Conference, September 11-14, 2005, Portland, Maine. p. 38.

Technical Abstract: A frequent concern of beginning SAS programmers is how to make a SAS program recognize calendar dates in various formats. For example, Sept., SEP, 9, 09, /9, /09, and even $9 are all valid representations for the month of September. Although a program may currently read a date correctly, a new challenge arises when the data provider alters date formats or new users remotely enter data. A variety of techniques are available to SAS programmers for reading calendar date formats. Some methods are as simple as changing date formats from character to numeric while others require more complex programming. However, these steps are necessary if the unformatted data is to be used in making decisions later in the program. Several methods to format dates into useable data where different forms of entries exist will be presented.