CONTENT

CONTENT

Specifies a SAS date format or length.

Optional statement

Applies to: access descriptor or view descriptor

Syntax
Details

Syntax

CONTENT <">column-identifier-1<"> <=> SAS-date-format | length
<...<">column-identifier-n<"> <=> SAS-date-format | length>;

Details

The CONTENT statement enables you to specify a SAS date format or column length. A date format means that the CA-DATACOM/DB data have the specified representation. The column length determines the number of characters to be accessed. The SAS System stores datetime values as the number of days and seconds before and after Jan. 1, 1960. Entering a SAS date format or column length automatically changes the default values for SAS formats and informats. However, if you have previously changed any format or informat values, specifying a CONTENT value does not change those values.

CA-DATACOM/DB does not have a date type; therefore, the CONTENT statement enables you to specify a date format for SAS processing. Four date formats are allowed:

YYMMDDw. where w is 6 for two-digit years or 8 for four-digit years
MMDDYYw. where w is 6 for two-digit years or 8 for four-digit years
DDMMYYw. where w is 6 for two-digit years or 8 for four-digit years
JULIANw. where w is 5 for two-digit years or 7 for four-digit years.

The column-identifier argument can be either the CA-DATACOM/DB field name or the positional equivalent from the LIST statement, which is the number that represents the column's place in the access descriptor. If the column contains special characters or national characters, enclose the name in quotes.

If you specified ASSIGN=YES when creating an access descriptor, you cannot change the value for this statement when you later create a view descriptor based on that access descriptor.

You do not have to issue a SELECT statement for DBMS columns named in the CONTENT statement.

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	Optional statement
Applies to:	access descriptor or view descriptor