The CONTENT statement enables you to enter a SAS date format, a variable
length, or an extended time format. A date format means that the ADABAS
data has the specified representation. A variable length determines
the number of characters to be accessed. The extended time format
(E) invokes NATURAL date, time, and datetime values. SAS stores datetime
values as the number of days and seconds before and after January
1, 1960. The NATURAL 4th generation language stores date and time
values as the number of days and seconds since 0 A.D.
For ADABAS files, entering
a SAS date or a variable length automatically changes default values
for SAS formats and informats. For NATURAL DDMs, entering a date
changes the default format and informat but entering a length does
not. However, if you have previously changed any format and informat
values, specifying a CONTENT value does not alter those values. Specifying
extended time format changes default values for SAS informat and format
values to DATETIME16.
For groups and periodic
groups, the CONTENT field is for information only and is set to *GROUP*
and *PGROUP*, respectively.
ADABAS does not have
a specific date type. Therefore, the CONTENT statement enables you
to identify dates for SAS processing. You can enter one of four SAS
date formats.
-
YYMMDD
w. where
w is 6 for two-digit
years or 8 for four-digit years
-
MMDDYY
w. where
w is 6 for two-digit
years or 8 for four-digit years
-
DDMMYY
w. where
w is 6 for two-digit
years or 8 for four-digit years
-
JULIAN
w. where
w is 5 for two-digit
years or 7 for four-digit years.
If you specified ASSIGN=YES
when creating an access descriptor, you cannot change the value for
this statement when you later create a view descriptor based on that
access descriptor. If you specified ASSIGN=NO, you can change the
value for this statement in a subsequent view descriptor.
You do not have to issue
a SELECT statement for columns named in the CONTENT statement.
Note: The
SAS/ACCESS to ADABAS
engine does not provide automatic conversion to the extended time
format in releases of SAS before Release 6.08 TSO420. However, it
is possible to convert a value to the extended time format in a SAS
DATA step by using the following formulas:
SAS date value = NATURAL date value − 715874
SAS datetime value = (NATURAL datetime value / 10)
− (715874 * 3600 *24)
SAS time value = NATURAL time value / 10