You can create more than one format from an input control data set with PROC FORMAT. The input control data set must contain the variables FMTNAME, START, and LABEL. In this sample, the TYPE variable has been added with the value of "C" to create multiple character formats.

Please see the code in the Full Code tab for an example.

---

These sample files and code examples are provided by SAS Institute Inc. "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Recipients acknowledge and agree that SAS Institute shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of their use of this material. In addition, SAS Institute will provide no support for the materials contained herein.

This sample uses an existing SAS data set to build multiple formats.

---

options formdlim=' ';

data format;
   input OccCode $ OccCode_formatted $23. name $ region $;
   cards;
0  None                    John    NE 
27 Laborer                 Mary    NW
3  Service                 Sue     SE
4  Service Administration  Peter   SW
15 Engineer                Paul    CENTRAL
;
run;

data cntlone;
   set format; 
   fmtname="$OccCode";
   start=OccCode;
   label=OccCode_formatted;
   type='C';
   output ;

   fmtname="$Region";
   start=region;
   type='C';
   if region in('NE' 'NW') then label='North';
   else if region in('SE' 'SW') then label='South';
   else label=region;
   output ;
run;

/* Sort the CNTLIN data set to group format rows together */
proc sort data=cntlone;
   by fmtname start;
run;

proc format cntlin=cntlone; 
run;

/* For debugging purposes, verify that formats are on the library */
options linesize=120;

proc format library=work fmtlib; 
   select $OccCode $Region;
run;

---

These sample files and code examples are provided by SAS Institute Inc. "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Recipients acknowledge and agree that SAS Institute shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of their use of this material. In addition, SAS Institute will provide no support for the materials contained herein.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|       FORMAT NAME: $OCCCODE LENGTH:   22   NUMBER OF VALUES:    5        |
|   MIN LENGTH:   1  MAX LENGTH:  40  DEFAULT LENGTH  22  FUZZ:        0   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|START           |END             |LABEL  (VER. V7|V8   14OCT2009:20:32:22)|
|----------------+----------------+----------------------------------------|
|0               |0               |None                                    |
|15              |15              |Engineer                                |
|27              |27              |Laborer                                 |
|3               |3               |Service                                 |
|4               |4               |Service Administration                  |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|       FORMAT NAME: $REGION  LENGTH:    7   NUMBER OF VALUES:    5        |
|   MIN LENGTH:   1  MAX LENGTH:  40  DEFAULT LENGTH   7  FUZZ:        0   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|START           |END             |LABEL  (VER. V7|V8   14OCT2009:20:32:22)|
|----------------+----------------+----------------------------------------|
|CENTRAL         |CENTRAL         |CENTRAL                                 |
|NE              |NE              |North                                   |
|NW              |NW              |North                                   |
|SE              |SE              |South                                   |
|SW              |SW              |South                                   |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sample illustrates how to generate multiple formats from one data set.

Type:	Sample
Topic:	Common Programming Tasks ==> Selecting Data Common Programming Tasks ==> Working with Character Data Data Management ==> Data Sources ==> SAS catalogs Data Management ==> Data Sources ==> SAS Data Sets/Tables Data Management ==> Data Sources ==> SAS Libraries Data Management ==> Manipulation and Transformation ==> User Written Formats

Date Modified:	2010-04-16 10:34:14
Date Created:	2009-10-14 20:05:03

Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	Host	SAS Release
			Starting	Ending
SAS System	N/A	IRIX
		HP-UX
		ABI+ for Intel Architecture
		64-bit Enabled HP-UX
		64-bit Enabled Solaris
		Windows Vista
		64-bit Enabled AIX
		Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
		Microsoft Windows 95/98
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
		Microsoft Windows NT Workstation
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008
		Linux
		Linux for x64
		Linux on Itanium
		OpenVMS Alpha
		OpenVMS on HP Integrity
		Macintosh on x64
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
		Microsoft® Windows® for 64-Bit Itanium-based Systems
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft® Windows® for x64
		OS/2
		OpenVMS VAX
		Macintosh
		HP-UX IPF
		AIX
		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
		Microsoft Windows 7
		z/OS
		Solaris for x64
		Tru64 UNIX
		Solaris