A SAS format is
an instruction or template that SAS uses to write data values. Most
SAS formats are described completely in
SAS Formats and Informats: Reference. The formats that are described here have behavior
that is specific to Windows.
Many of the SAS formats
that have details specific to the Windows operating environment are
used to write binary data. In using these formats, it is important
that you understand the concepts that are presented in
Writing Binary Data.