SUPPORT / SAMPLES & SAS NOTES
Problem Note 39129: Formatting a newly created, missing numeric variable might result in a "Format not found" error
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When you apply a maintenance release of SAS, it is possible to receive an error similar to the following that indicates that a format cannot be found:
ERROR: Format $ATE not found or couldn't be loaded for variable NEWVAR.
This problem can occur when you use a data set or a view that is created when you add a format to a newly created, null (missing) numeric variable, as shown in the following example:
proc sql;
create table test
select . as newvar format=date9. , *
from mydblib.class
order by age;
quit;
In this example, the table is created with the new variable that is defined as a character variable with a format of $ATE9. When you query a database, the problem can occur because the new variable that is sent to the database is defined as a character variable by the database rather than as a numeric variable (as intended).
Click the Hot Fix tab in this note to access the hot fix for this issue.
Operating System and Release Information
| Product Family | Product | System | SAS Release | |
| Reported | Fixed* | |||
| SAS System | Base SAS | z/OS | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 |
| Microsoft® Windows® for 64-Bit Itanium-based Systems | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter 64-bit Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise 64-bit Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | |||
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | |||
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Server | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | |||
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | |||
| Microsoft Windows NT Workstation | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | |||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Windows Vista | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled AIX | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled HP-UX | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled Solaris | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| HP-UX IPF | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Linux | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Linux on Itanium | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| OpenVMS Alpha | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Solaris for x64 | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||
| Tru64 UNIX | 9.1 TS1M3 SP4 | 9.3 TS1M0 | ||