SAS/ACCESS 9.2 for Relational Databases: Reference, Fourth Edition

830 Determining Format Publish Dates 4 Chapter 28Note: If you explicitly use the SAS_PUT( ) function in your code, it is recommendedthat you use double quotation marks around a column name to avoid any ambiguitywith the keywords. For example, if you did not use double quotation marks around thecolumn name, DATE, in this example, all date values would be returned as today’s date.4select distinctcast(sas_put("price", ’dollar8.2’) as char(8)) as "price_c",cast(sas_put("date", ’date9.1’) as char(9)) as "date_d",cast(sas_put("inv", ’best8.’) as char(8)) as "inv_n",cast(sas_put("name", ’$32.’) as char(32)) as "name_n"from mailorderdemo;Tips When Using the SAS_PUT( ) Function3 When SAS parses the PUT function, SAS checks to make sure that the format is aknown format name. SAS looks for the format in the set of formats that aredefined in the scope of the current SAS session. If the format name is not definedin the context of the current SAS session, the SAS_PUT( ) function is returned tothe local SAS session for processing.3 To turn off automatic translation of the PUT function to the SAS_PUT( ) function,set the SQLMAPPUTTO= system option to NONE.3 The format of the SAS_PUT( ) function parallels that of the PUT function:SAS_PUT(source, ’format.’)3 Using both the SQLREDUCEPUT= system option (or the PROC SQLREDUCEPUT= option) and SQLMAPPUTTO= can result in a significantperformance boost. First, SQLREDUCEPUT= works to reduce as many PUTfunctions as possible. Then you can map the remaining PUT functions toSAS_PUT( ) functions, by setting SQLMAPPUTTO= SAS_PUT.3 Format widths greater than 256 can cause unexpected or unsuccessful behavior.3 If a variable is associated with a $HEXw. format, SAS/ACCESS creates the DBMStable, and the PUT function is being mapped to the SAS_PUT( )function,SAS/ACCESS assumes that variable is binary and assigns a data type of BYTE tothat column. The SAS_PUT( ) function does not support the BYTE data type.Teradata reports an error that the SAS_PUT( ) function is not found instead ofreporting that an incorrect data type was passed to the function. To avoid thiserror, variables that are processed by the SAS_PUT( ) function implicitly shouldnot have the $HEXw. format associated with them. For more information, see“Data Types and the SAS_PUT( ) Function” on page 819.If you use the $HEXw. format in an explicit SAS_PUT( ) function call, this errordoes not occur.3 If you use the $HEXw. format in an explicit SAS_PUT( ) function call, blanks inthe variable are converted to “20” but trailing blanks, that is blanks that occurwhen using a format width greater than the variable width, are trimmed. Forexample, the value “A ”(“A” with a single blank) with a $HEX4. format is writtenas 4120. The value “A” (“A” with no blanks) with a $HEX4. format is written as41 with no blanks.Determining Format Publish DatesYou might need to know when user-defined formats or formats that SAS supplieswere published. SAS supplies two special formats that return a datetime value thatindicates when this occurred.