1. Permanent Formats and Working Across Platforms

2. 32bit vs. 64 bit SAS The different versions of SAS optimize datasets and formats to work as fast as possible. You can open a 32 bit SAS dataset with a 64 bit version of SAS but it is slower than necessary. Formats saved in permanent libraries (as catalogs) may have problems opening on different platforms/operating systems.

3. Formats Saved in Libraries * x "mkdir C:\Projects\hrp223\cportExample"; libname cportex "c:\projects\hrp223\cportexample"; proc format library = cportEx; value isMale 0 = "Female" 1 = "Male". = "Missing" other = "** bad **" ; run; Save the format here instead of in work. SAS is pushing this idea.

4. Where to Find Formats SAS and EG look for formats in the work library. You can tell it to look in other libraries with a line like this: options fmtsearch = (cportEx work); Your library name goes here.

5. Sharing Files If everyone on your team uses the same version of SAS you can send datasets and catalogs via encrypted email. Send both the files in the library and teach the recipient about options fmtsearch. data cportEx.stuff; format sex isMale.; input ID age sex; datalines; 1 83 1 2 82 0 ; run;

6. proc cport If you need to share datasets and formats across platforms (including 32 vs 64 bit Windows SAS), store the library in cport file and send that (via encrypted email). proc cport library = cportEx file="C:\Projects\hrp223\cportExample\example.cport" memtype = all; run; Send this one.

7. proc cimport Use proc cimport on the other machine: libname cportEx "C:\Projects\hrp223\cportExample"; options fmtsearch = (cportEx work); proc cimport library = cportEx file = "C:\Projects\hrp223\cportExample\example.cport" ; run;

8. No Formats… If somebody forgets to send you the formats you can include this line and the data will display unformatted without errors: options nofmterr;