Date:         Thu, 24 Dec 1998 18:51:31 -0800
Reply-To:     amichiel@aa.net
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         "A.J. Michielsen" <amichiel@AA.NET>
Organization: Ex Eq Vineyards
Subject:      Re: SAS user-defined formats
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hin K Lam wrote:
>...I write out a SAS dataset with user-defined formats in it...
> give it to somebody, that person will not be able to use the
> data since the user-defined format definitions are not there....
> Is there is a way that the format definitions can be written into the > > SAS
dataset itself?...
 
The new person will still be able to 'use' the data, but the formats
won't be available as you describe.  I see several solutions.
1. Create a new data set and 'PUT' the format values in the variables.
2. Supply the program which created the user defined formats.
3. Copy the needed formats, add (the catalog) to the diskette, and
supply a sample program (if needed) to proc copy them to the local
format catalog.  If don't use the local user formats, you can copy
foreign user formats from a diskette, AND SAS will add the local user
formats when you first use the local user formats.  If the local user
formats has already been created, and you can't use proc copy, you'll
need to copy each format individually to add them to the local format
library.
Cheers,
al