Date:         Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:58:54 -0500
Reply-To:     "Fehd, Ronald J. (CDC/OSELS/NCPHI)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Fehd, Ronald J. (CDC/OSELS/NCPHI)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Distinguise system fromat from user defined format
In-Reply-To:  <201003102117.o2ABns8b017954@malibu.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

> From: Dan
> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 4:17 PM
> To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Distinguise system fromat from user defined format

> Hi. SASLers:

> Is there a way to distinguish system format from user defined format?
I am
> working at a CRO and some time we need to distinguish system format
(like
> date9. mmddyy10.) from user defined. I usually get all the data sets
infor
> from the following code:

> proc datasets library=work nodetails;
> contents data=_all_ out=metadata ;
> run;

> the data set metadata has a column Format, giving out there is a
format
> attahced to a variable.


As mentioned the sql dictionary has a listing:

PROC SQL; describe table Dictionary.Formats;
          *Select *
          From Dictionary.Formats;
          Select distinct LibName
          From Dictionary.Formats;
          Quit;

Libname is blank for SAS system formats.

Ron Fehd the dictionary maven