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ATTRIB

Valid:	in a DATA step
Category:	Information
Type:	Declarative

Arguments

variable-list

names the variables that you want to associate with the attributes.

Tip:	List the variables in any form that SAS allows.

attribute-list

specifies one or more attributes to assign to variable-list. Specify one or more of these attributes in the ATTRIB statement:

FORMAT=format

associates a format with variables in variable-list.

Tip:	The format can be either a standard SAS format or a format that is defined with the FORMAT procedure.

INFORMAT=informat

associates an informat with variables in variable-list.

Tip:	The informat can be either a standard SAS informat or an informat that is defined with the FORMAT procedure.

LABEL='label'

associates a label with variables in variable-list.

LENGTH=<$>length

specifies the length of variables in variable-list.

Requirement:	Put a dollar sign ($) in front of the length of character variables.
Tip:	Use the ATTRIB statement before the SET statement to change the length of variables in an output data set when you use an existing data set as input.
Range:	For character variables, the range is 1 to 32,767 for all operating environments. Operating Environment Information:   For numeric variables, the minimum length you can specify with the LENGTH= specification is 2 in some operating environments and 3 in others.

Details

The Basics

Using the ATTRIB statement in the DATA step permanently associates attributes with variables by changing the descriptor information of the SAS data set that contains the variables.

You can use ATTRIB in a PROC step, but the rules are different.

How SAS Treats Variables when You Assign Informats with the INFORMAT= Option on the ATTRIB Statement

Informats that are associated with variables by using the INFORMAT= option on the ATTRIB statement behave like informats that are used with modified list input. SAS reads the variables by using the scanning feature of list input, but applies the informat. In modified list input, SAS

• does not use the value of w in an informat to specify column positions or input field widths in an external file

• uses the value of w in an informat to specify the length of previously undefined character variables

• ignores the value of w in numeric informats

• uses the value of d in an informat in the same way it usually does for numeric informats

• treats blanks that are embedded as input data as delimiters unless you change their status with a DELIMITER= option specification in an INFILE statement.

Comparisons

You can use either an ATTRIB statement or an individual attribute statement such as FORMAT, INFORMAT, LABEL, and LENGTH to change an attribute that is associated with a variable.

Examples

Here are examples of ATTRIB statements that contain

• single variable and single attribute:

  attrib cost length=4;

• single variable with multiple attributes:

  attrib saleday informat=mmddyy. 
  format=worddate.;

• multiple variables with the same multiple attributes:

  attrib x y length=$4 label='TEST VARIABLE';

• multiple variables with different multiple attributes:

  attrib x length=$4 label='TEST VARIABLE'
         y length=$2 label='RESPONSE';

• variable list with single attribute:

  attrib month1-month12
         label='MONTHLY SALES';

Statements: FORMAT INFORMAT LABEL LENGTH

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