**StudySAS Blog: Mastering Clinical Data Management with SAS**

1) Converting character date values into numeric: /*I) Using the DATASTEP:*/ 1) Data dates; input cdate $9.; cards; 16-apr-07 01-01-07 02-jun-07 13-sep-07 ; run; Data Convert; set dates; Date = input ( cdate , ANYDTDTE9.); format date date7.; run; 2) Data dates ; input cdate $9.; cards; 16-apr-2007 01-01-2007 02-jun-2007 13-sep-2007 ; run; Data Convert ; set dates; Date = input ( cdate , ANYDTDTE11.); format date date9.; run ; *II) Using Proc SQL; *Numeric date variable can be converted to character date variable by using the PUT function within PROC SQL.; proc sql; create table date_char as select PUT(date, date9.) as ndate from date_num; quit; *Character date variable can be converted to numeric date variable by using the INPUT function within PROC SQL.; Proc sql; create table date_num as select INPUT (date, mmddyy10.) as ndate format= mmddyy10. from date_char; quit ; Or Proc sql ; create table date_num as sel...

Convert values from character to numeric or from numeric to character\Convert variable values using either the INPUT or PUT function. Convert a character value to a numeric value by using the INPUT function. Specify a numeric informat that best describes how to Read the data value into the numeric variable. When changing types a new variable name is required. If you need to keep the original variable name for the new type, use the RENAME = option as illustrated in Sample 2. data char; input string : $8. date : $6.; numeric= input (string, 8.); sasdate= input (date, mmddyy6.); format sasdate mmddyy10.; datalines ; 1234.56 031704 3920 123104; proc print; run ; data now_num; input num date: mmddyy6.; datalines ; 123456 110204 1000 120504;   run; data now_char ; set now_num (rename=(num=oldnum date=olddate)); num = put (oldnum,6. -L); date = put ( olddate , date9 .); run ; proc print ; run ; Source: support.sas.com Here ...