When specifying the parameters for CALL IS8601_CONVERT, the 'to-variable' restricts the length to 16 bytes. If a LENGTH statement specifies a longer length, a note is produced in the log like this:

   NOTE: Invalid argument to function IS8601_CONVERT at line n column n.

The documentation indicates that the variable must be at least a 16-byte character variable. This would imply that the variable's length can be longer, but currently it cannot be.

With the fix, the to-variable must be 16 or greater in length.

Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	System	SAS Release
			Reported	Fixed*
SAS System	Base SAS	z/OS	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft® Windows® for 64-Bit Itanium-based Systems	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter 64-bit Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise 64-bit Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server	9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server	9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Server	9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional	9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows NT Workstation	9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Microsoft Windows XP Professional	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Windows Vista	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		64-bit Enabled AIX	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		64-bit Enabled HP-UX	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		64-bit Enabled Solaris	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		HP-UX IPF	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Linux	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		OpenVMS Alpha	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0
		Tru64 UNIX	9.1 TS1M3	9.3 TS1M0

* For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be fixed.

This code illustrates what occurs when a length longer than 16 bytes is given to the 'to-variable', in this case DURATION. It's necessary that the length remain at 16 bytes. Change the length on the LENGTH statement to 16 and it runs correctly.

---

data test;
  start='01jan2010 00:00:00'dt;
  end='04mar2011 00:00:00'dt;
  length duration $18;  * <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ; 
  call is8601_convert('dt/dt','du',start,end,duration);
  formatted=put(duration,$n8601b.);
run;

The to-variable' parameter does not allow a length of more than 16 bytes but the documentation does not state this.

Type:	Problem Note
Priority:	medium
Topic:	SAS Reference ==> CALL routines SAS Reference ==> DATA Step

Date Modified:	2010-11-12 10:07:20
Date Created:	2010-04-21 11:54:15