VARFMT Function

Returns the format that is assigned to a SAS data set variable.

Category:

SAS File I/O

Syntax

VARFMT(data-set-id,var-num)

Required Arguments

data-set-id

specifies the data set identifier that the OPEN function returns.

var-num

specifies the number of the variable's position in the SAS data set.

Tips	This number is next to the variable in the list that is produced by the CONTENTS procedure.
	The VARNUM function returns this number.

Details

If no format has been assigned to the variable, a blank string is returned.

Examples

Example 1: Using VARFMT to Obtain the Format of the Variable NAME

This example obtains the format of the variable NAME in the SAS data set MYDATA.

%let dsid=%sysfunc(open(mydata,i));
%if &dsid %then
   %do;
      %let fmt=%sysfunc(varfmt(&dsid,
                        %sysfunc(varnum
                        (&dsid,NAME))));
      %let rc=%sysfunc(close(&dsid));
   %end;

Example 2: Using VARFMT to Obtain the Format of all the Numeric Variables in a Data Set

This example creates a data set that contains the name and formatted content of each numeric variable in the SAS data set MYDATA.

data vars;
   length name $ 8 content $ 12;
   drop dsid i num rc fmt;
   dsid=open("mydata","i");
   num=attrn(dsid,"nvars");
   do while (fetch(dsid)=0);
      do i=1 to num;
         name=varname(dsid,i);
         if (vartype(dsid,i)='N') then do;
            fmt=varfmt(dsid,i);
            if fmt='' then fmt="BEST12.";
            content=putc(putn(getvarn
                        (dsid,i),fmt),"$char12.");
            output;
            end;
      end;
   end;
   rc=close(dsid);
run;