System Options for NLS

LOCALE System Option

Specifies a set of attributes in a SAS session that reflect the language, local conventions, and culture for a geographical region.

Default:	English_UnitedStates
Valid in:	configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window
Category:	Environment control: Language control
UNIX specifics:	Also valid in SASV9_OPTIONS environment variable
PROC OPTIONS GROUP:	LANGUAGECONTROL

Syntax
Details
See Also

Syntax

-LOCALE locale-name (UNIX and Windows)

LOCALE=locale-name (UNIX, Windows, and z/OS)

locale-name: For a complete list of locale values (SAS names and POSIX names), see Values for the LOCALE= System Option.

Details

The LOCALE= system option is used to specify the locale, which reflects the local conventions, language, and culture a geographical region.

If the value of the LOCALE= system option is not compatible with the value of the ENCODING= system option, the character-set encoding is determined by the value of the ENCODING= system option.

If the DBCS= system option is active, the values of the DBCSTYPE= and DBCSLANG= system options determine the locale and character-set encoding.

When you set a value for LOCALE=, the value of the following system options are modified unless explicit values have been specified:

ENCODING=

The locale that you set has a common encoding value that is used most often in the operating environment where SAS runs. If you start SAS with the LOCALE= system option and you do not specify the ENCODING= system option, SAS compares the default value for ENCODING= and the most common locale encoding value. If the two encoding values are not the same, the ENCODING= system option is set to the LOCALE= encoding value. When the ENCODING= system option is set, the TRANTAB= system option is also set.

DATESTYLE=

When LOCALE= is set, the DATESTYLE= system option uses the value that corresponds to the chosen locale.

DFLANG=

When LOCALE= is set, the DFLANG= system option is set to a value that corresponds to the chosen locale.

PAPERSIZE=

When LOCALE= is set, the PAPERSIZE= system option is set to a value that corresponds to the chosen locale and the ODS printer is set to the preferred unit of measurement, inches or centimeters, for that locale.

CAUTION:: Under the Windows operating systems only:
The LOCALE= option can be used to specify PAPERSIZE= only if the UNIVERSALPRINT and UPRINTMENUSWITCH system options are also specified. For details, see the UNIVERSALPRINT system option in SAS Language Reference: Dictionary and the UPRINTMENUSWITCH system option in SAS Companion for Windows.