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

900 LIST Statement 4 Appendix 1DetailsThe FORMAT statement changes SAS variable formats from their default formats.The default SAS variable format is based on the data type of the DBMS column. SeeSAS/ACCESS documentation for your DBMS for information about default formats thatSAS assigns to your DBMS data types.You can use the FORMAT statement with a view descriptor only if the ASSIGNstatement that was used when creating the access descriptor was specified with the NOvalue. When you use the FORMAT statement with access descriptors, the FORMATstatement also reselects columns that were previously dropped with the DROPstatement.For example, to associate the DATE9. format with the BIRTHDATE column and withthe second column in the access descriptor, submit this statement:format 2=date9. birthdate=date9.;The equal sign (=) is optional. For example, you can use the FORMAT statement tospecify new SAS variable formats for four DBMS table columns:format productid 4.weight e16.9fibersize e20.13width e16.9;LIST StatementLists columns in the descriptor and gives information about themApplies to: access descriptor or view descriptorDefault: ALLLIST ;ALLlists all DBMS columns in the table, positional equivalents, SAS variable names, andSAS variable formats that are available for a descriptor.VIEWlists all DBMS columns that are selected for a view descriptor, their positionalequivalents, their SAS names and formats, and any subsetting clauses.column-identifierlists information about a specified DBMS column, including its name, positionalequivalent, SAS variable name and format, and whether it has been selected. If thecolumn name contains lowercase characters, special characters, or nationalcharacters, enclose the name in quotation marks.The column-identifier argument can be either the column name or the positionalequivalent, which is the number that represents the column’s place in the descriptor.For example, to list information about the fifth column in the descriptor, submit thisstatement:list 5;