$QUOTEw. Format

Writes data values that are enclosed in single quotation marks.

Category:	Character
Alignment:	Left

Syntax

$QUOTEw.

specifies the width of the output field.

Default	2 if the length of the variable is undefined; otherwise, the length of the variable + 2.
Range	2–32767
Tip	Make w wide enough to include the left and right quotation marks.

When you use the $QUOTEw. format, all literals must be in single quotation marks.

The following list describes the output that SAS produces when you use the $QUOTEw. format.

If your data value is not enclosed in quotation marks, SAS encloses the output in double quotation marks.
If your data value is not enclosed in quotation marks, but the value contains a single quotation mark, SAS takes the following actions:
- encloses the data value in double quotation marks
- does not change the single quotation mark.
If your data value begins and ends with single quotation marks, and the value contains double quotation marks, SAS takes the following actions:
- encloses the data value in double quotation marks
- duplicates the double quotation marks that are found in the data value
- does not change the single quotation marks.
If your data value begins and ends with single quotation marks, and the value contains two single contiguous quotation marks, SAS takes the following actions:
- encloses the value in double quotation marks
- does not change the single quotation marks.
If your data value begins and ends with single quotation marks, and contains both double quotation marks and single, contiguous quotation marks, SAS takes the following actions:
- encloses the value in double quotation marks
- duplicates the double quotation marks that are found in the data value
- does not change the single quotation marks.
If the length of the target field is not large enough to contain the string and its quotation marks, SAS returns all blanks.