VTYPE Function

Returns the type (character or numeric) of the specified variable.

Category:	Variable Information
Restriction:	Use only with the DATA step

Syntax

VTYPE (var)

specifies a variable that is expressed as a scalar or as an array reference.

Restriction

You cannot use an expression as an argument.

If the VTYPE function returns a value to a variable that has not yet been assigned a length, by default the variable is assigned a length of 1.

VTYPE returns N for numeric variables and C for character variables.

VTYPE returns the type of the specified variable. VTYPEX, however, evaluates the argument to determine the variable name. The function then returns the type (character or numeric) that is associated with that variable name.
VTYPE does not accept an expression as an argument. VTYPEX accepts expressions, but the value of the specified expression cannot denote an array reference.
Related functions return the value of other variable attributes, such as the variable name, informat, and format, among others. For a list, see the Variable Information functions in SAS Functions and CALL Routines by Category.

The following SAS statements produce this result.

SAS Statement	Result
array x(3) x1-x3; y=vtype(x(1)); put y=;	y=N