VALIDFMTNAME= System Option

Specifies the maximum size (32 characters or 8 characters) that user-created format and informat names can be before an error or warning is issued.
Valid in: Configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window
Category: Files: SAS Files
PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES
Default: LONG
Note: This option can be restricted by a site administrator. For more information, see Restricted Options.
Syntax
Details
See Also

Syntax

VALIDFMTNAME=LONG | FAIL | WARN

Syntax Description

LONG
specifies that format and informat names can be up to 32 alphanumeric characters. This is the default.
FAIL
specifies that creating a format or informat name that is longer than eight characters results in an error message.
Interaction:If you explicitly specify the V7 or V8 Base SAS engine, such as in a LIBNAME statement, then SAS automatically uses the VALIDFMTNAME=FAIL behavior for data sets that are associated with those engines.
Tip:Specify this setting for using formats and informats that are valid in both SAS 9 and previous releases of SAS.
WARN
specifies that creating a format or informat name that is longer than eight characters results in a warning message to remind you that the format or informat cannot be used with releases before to SAS 9.

Details

SAS 9 enables you to define format and informat names up to 32 characters. Previous releases were limited to eight characters. The VALIDFMTNAME= system option applies to format and informat names in both data sets and format catalogs. VALIDFMTNAME= does not control the length of format and informat names. It only controls the length of format and informat names that you associate with variables when you create a SAS data set.
If a SAS data set has a variable with a long format or informat name, which means that a release before SAS 9 cannot read it, then you can remove the long name so that the data set can be accessed by an earlier release. However, in order to retain the format attribute of the variable, an identical format with a short name would have to be applied to the variable.
Note: After you create a format or informat using a name that is longer than eight characters, if you rename it using eight or fewer characters, a release before SAS 9 cannot use the format or informat. You must recreate the format or informat using the shorter name.

See Also

Names in the SAS Language in SAS Language Reference: Concepts
SAS 9.3 Compatibility with SAS Files from Earlier Releases in SAS Language Reference: Concepts
Procedures:
FORMAT Procedure in Base SAS Procedures Guide
Copyright © SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.