Error messages like the following might occur if you build a user-defined character format using PROC FORMAT with the CNTLIN= option in a session encoding of OPEN_ED-1146, and the format name contains the British pound sterling sign:

ERROR: Format name '£TRL' is invalid.  Observation ignored.

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This issue is most likely to occur with previously successful programs after migration to SAS^® 9.4 if the NLSCOMPATMODE system option was changed to the recommended NONLSCOMPATMODE system option.

The PROC FORMAT step runs successfully if you remove the variant character and use the Type variable in the control data set to specify a character format. Example syntax follows:

data fmtbuild;                                                         
   set fmtbin;                                                            
   fmtname = 'AGE';
   type='c';                                                    
run;  

Click the Hot Fix tab in this note to access the hot fix for this issue.

Operating System and Release Information

A fix for this issue for Base SAS 9.4_M3 is available at: