Matthew,

You can assign the libref LIBRARY to the library in which the format catalog resides. Or, if you choose to use another libref, include the libref in the FMTSEARCH system option:

libname library "your format catalog folder goes here";

or

libname yourfmts "your format catalog folder goes here"; options fmtsearch=(yourfmts.yourCatalog);

For the fmtsearch specification, you can use a 1-part name if the catalog is named formats.

RandyHerbison@westat.com

-----Original Message----- From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Zack, Matthew M. Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 4:27 PM To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: SAS ASSIST/ANALYST/VIEWTABLE and permanent SAS format catalogs

How can a permanent SAS format catalog be linked to data in a permanent SAS data set displayed in SAS ASSIST, SAS ANALYST, or SAS VIEWTABLE so that browsing the display shows the formatted values rather than the unformatted values?

When the SAS data set was being created, the variables in the SAS data set were associated with specific format values using a FORMAT statement in a DATA step and a prior PROC FORMAT "paragraph".

With respect to SAS ASSIST, I have tried to assign a LIBREF to the directory where the format catalog is stored, but this did not affect the display, either in BROWSE mode or EDIT mode. SAS ASSIST uses PROC FSVIEW to display the data in a SAS data set, and PROC FSVIEW itself has a FORMAT statement to associate formats with variables. However, I can't find a way to "attach" this latter FORMAT statement using the SAS ASSIST menus; the closest way is to assign formats is to do so laboriously, one format per variable, but not all at once.

The options for SAS ANALYST and SAS VIEWTABLE also appear similarly limited.

Matthew Zack