Convert SAS numeric dates to datetime format

Question

I am trying to convert a numeric date into date-time format. I am first subtracting a few days from the date I have.

$let from_date = "21JUL2016:00:00:00"dt;

data _null_;
    datediff = intnx('dtday',&from_dt,-180);
    call symput("cutoff_dt",datediff);
run;

After this I get numeric date like 17633333 which is fine because I am using this numeric date in pass through queries. But I also need to convert this date into datetime format like "21Dec2015:00:00:00"dt so that I can use this date in proc sql as well. So far after searching through sas documents and blogs I have been unable to do this. Help please.

Answer 1

You can use PUT to apply the format, but if you need quotes and the dt then that's a different story. If you do need them, I think that the current macro variable would work as well. Otherwise you have some other issue going on. There is no requirement for SQL to require the formatted value, unless you need a character or you're passing it through to a DB. In those cases the dt won't be required either.

%let from_date = "21JUL2016:00:00:00"dt;

data _null_;
datediff = intnx('dtday',&from_dt,-180);
call symput("cutoff_dt", put(datediff, datetime21.));
run;