How to get today's date in SAS?
September 11, 2021
1 min
To get today’s date in SAS, you can use the today() or date() functions. These functions return the number of days since January 1, 1960.
To get the current date and time in SAS, use the DATETIME() function. When you use this function, SAS returns the number of seconds between January 1, 1960, and the current time. You must apply a DateTime format to make this value easy to interpret.
For more details on SAS date functions, see our guide on Date Functions in SAS – The Definitive Guide.
Today_date = Date(); /* days today is since 1/1/1960 */Today_datetime = datetime(); /* seconds between January 1, 1960, and the current time.*/```Arithmetic also works in these functions.```Yesterday = today() – 1;EndDate = StartDate + 14;```**"Example":**```sasdata _null_;today = today();put today date9.;run;
Here are some date formats you can use to display the current date in SAS.
| Date Format | SAS Formats | Example |
|---|---|---|
| DDMMMYYYY | date9. | 29AUG2021 |
| DD-MM-YYYY | ddmmyyd10. | 29-08-2021 |
| DD/MM/YYYY | ddmmyy10. | 29/08/2021 |
| “DD”:“MM”: YYYY | DDMMYYX. | “29”:“08”:2021 |
| DD MM YYYY | DDMMYYB10. | 29 08 2021 |
| DDMMYYYY | DDMMYYN8. | 29082021 |
| DD.MMYYYY | DDMMYYP10. | 29.08.2021 |
| MM/DD/YYYY | MMDDYY10. | 08/29/2021 |
| MM-DD-YYYY | mmddyyd10. | 08-29-2021 |
| MM DD YYYY | MMDDYYB10. | 08 29 2021 |
| “MM”:“DD”: YYYY | MMDDYYC10. | “08”:“29”:2021 |
| MMDDYYYY | MMDDYYP10. | 08.29.2021 |
| MMDDYYYY | MMDDYYN8. | 08292021 |
| YYYY-MM-DD | YYMMDD10. | 2021-08-29 |
| YYYY/MM/DD | YYMMDDS10. | 2021/08/29 |
| “YYYY”:“MM”: DD | YYMMDDC10. | “2021”:“08”:29 |
| YYYY.MM.DD | YYMMDDP10. | 2021.08.21 |
| YYYYMMDD | YYMMDDN10. | 20210821 |
| YYYY MM DD | YYMMDDB10. | 2021 08 21 |
| WORDDATE | WORDDATE. | August 29, 2021 |
| WORDDATX | WORDDATX. | 29 August, 2021 |
| WEEDATE | WEEKDATE. | Monday, August 29, 2021 |
| WEEKDATX. | WEEKDATX | Mon, 29 Aug 2021 |
The DateTime function Writes the DateTime values in the form “ddmmmyy”:“hh”:“mm”:ss.ss.
data ex;date=today();datetime=datetime();format date date9. datetime datetime20.;run;proc print;
Create a Date and DateTime variable with any date
Data _null_;Date =put(Input('01SEP2021' , Date9.),date9.);DateTime=put(Input('"01SEP2021":"12":"30":00' , DateTime18.),datetime20.);put date= ;put datetime=;run;
“Output”:
DateTime="01SEP2021":"12":"30":00```## **Macro Equivalent to create a data and DateTime variable with any date**In Macro language, you must use the literal values inside the [%Sysevalf]("https"://www.9to5sas.com/eval-and-sysevalf/) function.While the [%Eval function]("https"://www.9to5sas.com/eval-and-sysevalf/) is used for most of the Macro language's numeric operations, it also performs character comparisons.Therefore, the Date, DateTime, and Time that follow the quoted Date and Time values for literals are considered to be characters and not part of the Date and Time values.### **Using the %sysevalf function**```sas%put Date = %Sysevalf('01JAN2021'd );%put DateTime = %Sysevalf('"01JAN2006":"12":"30":00'dt);
“Output”:
DateTime = 1925112600```### **Using %SYSFUNC, INPUTN and PUTN**Date and Time literals don't allow flexibility in reading the Date and Time values of different forms into SAS, and you can't format these SAS Date and Time values.While In the Data Step, you can use the Input and Put function, it is not possible in Macro.The %sysfunc macro function utilises most of the data step functions. However, the Input and Put functions are not among them.Instead, you have to use the **InputN** and **PutN** Data Step functions.```sas%put Date2 = %Sysfunc(inputn(01JAN2021,Date9.)) ; /*Reading SAS date*/%put date3 = %Sysfunc(putn(%Sysevalf('01JAN2021'd),Date9.)); /*Formatting SAS date*/%put date4 = %Sysfunc(putn(%Sysfunc(inputn(01JAN2021,Date9.)),Date9.)); /*Formatting SAS date*/
“Output”:
date3 = 01JAN2021date4 = 01JAN2021```## Create a Macro Variable with Today’s Date**You can [create a user-defined macro variable](https) with today's date.** Use the TODAY() or date function within the %SYSFUNC function.### User-Defined Macro Variables```sas%let todaysDate = %sysfunc(today(), date9.);%let datetime = %sysfunc(datetime(), datetime.);%put `&todaysDate;`%put `&datetime;`
“Output”:
"11SEP21":"08":"36":39```## **Using Call Symput to create a macro variable with today's date.**Here we are using [CALL SYMPUTX()](https://www.9to5sas.com/call-symput-in-sas/) to create a global macro variable with no trailing spaces. You can use the DATE() function today() function to get the date.```sasdata _null_;call symputx('dt', put(date(), date9.), 'g');call symputx('dt1', put(datetime(), datetime.), 'g');run;%put `&dt;`%put `&dt1;`
Since SAS dates are numbers, you need to convert them to characters. Use the PUT function with the format you’d like the date format to appear.
“Output”:
"11SEP21":"08":"39":34```### Automatic Macro Variables to get today's date in SASBesides user-defined macro variables, SAS also has automatic macro variables containing the current date. These macro variables always exist and can be used to get the current date.The **SYSDATE** and **SYSDATE9** variables contain today’s date.The **SYSDATE9** contains the current date in the **DATE9.** format and **SYSDATE** have the **DATE7.** format.The **SYSTIME** automatic, macro variables will have the date and time the SAS session started.```sas%put "sysdate": `&sysdate;`%put "sysdate9": `&sysdate9;`%put "sysday": `&sysday;`%put "systime": `&systime;`
“Output”:
"sysdate9": 11SEP2021"sysday": Saturday"systime": "02":32```**Using Call Symputx**```data _null_;call symputx('dt',put("&sysdate9"d,date9.));run;%put &dt.;```**"Output":**```01SEP2021```Note that these automatic macro variables are strings. Hence, if you want to use them in a calculation, you must place them between double quotes and the character "d".### Determining the Current Date for a North America/Denver Time ZoneThe **TIMEZONE** system option specifies the user's local time zone.For the list of all timezone, refer [here](https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/v_006/nlsref/n1tj735aocxmw7n1kfoz1qpdvb9l.htm).```sasoption timezone='America/Denver';data _null_;d1=today();put d1 nldate.;run;
10 September 2021
Determining the Current Date for an Asia/India Time Zone
Localization is the way data is read on input and how it is formatted and presented on output. This is defined by the setting of the LOCALE system option.
options locale=English_India;data _null_;day=today();put day nldate.;run;
10 September 2021
NLDATE Converts the SAS date value to the date value of the specified locale by using the date format descriptors.
The below table lists the values for the LOCALE= System Option.
| SAS Name | Example |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans_SouthAfrica | 29 Augustus 2021 |
| Albanian_Albania | 29 gusht 2021 |
| Arabic_Algeria | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Bahrain | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Egypt | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_India | 29 أغسطس 2021 |
| Arabic_Iraq | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Jordan | 29 آب, 2021 |
| Arabic_Kuwait | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Lebanon | 29 آب, 2021 |
| Arabic_Libya | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Morocco | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Oman | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Qatar | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_SaudiArabia | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Sudan | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Syria | 29 آب, 2021 |
| Arabic_Tunisia | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_UnitedArabEmirates | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Arabic_Yemen | 29 أغسطس, 2021 |
| Basque_Spain | 2021-08-29 |
| Bengali_India | 29/08/2021 |
| Bosnian_BosniaHerzegovina | 29. avgust 2021. |
| Bulgarian_Bulgaria | 29.08.21 |
| Byelorussian_Belarus | 29.08.2021 |
| Catalan_Spain | 29/08/21 |
| Chinese_China | 2021年08月29日 |
| Chinese_China | 2021年08月29日 |
| Chinese_HongKong | 2021年08月29日 |
| Chinese_Macau | 2021年08月29日 |
| Chinese_Singapore | 2021年08月29日 |
| Chinese_Taiwan | 2021年08月29日 |
| Cornish_UnitedKingdom | 29/Mye Est/2021 |
| Croatian_BosniaHerzegovina | 2021. kolovoza 29 |
| Croatian_Croatia | 2021. kolovoza 29 |
| Czech_CzechRepublic | 29. srpna 2021 |
| Danish_Denmark | 29. august 2021 |
| Dutch_Belgium | 29 augustus 2021 |
| Dutch_Netherlands | 29 augustus 2021 |
| English_Australia | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Belgium | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Botswana | 29/August/2021 |
| English_Canada | August 29, 2021 |
| English_Caribbean | August 29, 2021 |
| English_HongKong | August 29, 2021 |
| English_India | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Ireland | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Jamaica | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Malta | August 29, 2021 |
| English_NewZealand | 29 August 2021 |
| English_Philippines | 29 August, 2021 |
| English_Singapore | 29,August,2021 |
| English_SouthAfrica | 29 August 2021 |
| English_UnitedKingdom | 29 August 2021 |
| English_UnitedStates | August 29, 2021 |
| English_Zimbabwe | 29,August,2021 |
| Estonian_Estonia | 29, august 2021 |
| Faroese_FaroeIslands | 29/august-2021 |
| Finnish_Finland | 29. elokuuta 2021 |
| French_Belgium | 29 août 2021 |
| French_Canada | 29 août 2021 |
| French_France | 29 août 2021 |
| French_Luxembourg | 29 août 2021 |
| French_Switzerland | 29. août 2021 |
| German_Austria | 29. August 2021 |
| German_Germany | 29. August 2021 |
| German_Liechtenstein | 29. August 2021 |
| German_Luxembourg | 29. August 2021 |
| German_Switzerland | 29. August 2021 |
| Greek_Cyprus | 29/08/2021 |
| Greek_Greece | 29/08/2021 |
| Greenlandic_Greenland | 29/augustusi/2021 |
| Hebrew_Israel | 29 אוגוסט 2021 |
| Hindi_India | 29-08-2021 |
| Hungarian_Hungary | 2021. augusztus 29. |
| Icelandic_Iceland | 29. ágúst 2021 |
| Indonesian_Indonesia | 29/Agustus/2021 |
| Irish_Ireland | 29 Lúnasa 2021 |
| Italian_Italy | 29 agosto 2021 |
| Italian_Switzerland | 29. agosto 2021 |
| Japanese_Japan | 2021年08月29日 |
| Kazakh_Kazakhstan | 29/08/21 |
| Korean_Korea | 2021년 08월 29일 |
| Latvian_Latvia | 2021, 29 augusts |
| Lithuanian_Lithuania | 2021, rugpjūtis 29 |
| Macedonian_Macedonia | 29.08.2021 |
| Malay_Malaysia | 29 Ogos 2021 |
| Maltese_Malta | 29 ta Awwissu, 2021 |
| Marathi_India | 29-08-2021 |
| NorwegianBokmal_Norway | 29. august 2021 |
| NorwegianNynorsk_Norway | 29. august 2021 |
| Norwegian_Norway | 29. august 2021 |
| Persian_India | 29 اوت 2021 |
| Persian_Iran | 29⁄08⁄2021 |
| Polish_Poland | 29 sierpnia 2021 |
| Portuguese_Brazil | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Portuguese_Portugal | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Romanian_Romania | 29 august 2021 |
| Russian_Russia | 29.08.21 |
| Russian_Ukraine | 29.08.21 |
| Serbian_BosniaHerzegovina | 21-08-29 |
| Serbian_Montenegro | 29.08.2021. |
| Serbian_Serbia | 29.08.2021. |
| SerbianLatin_BosniaHerzegovina | 29. avgust 2021. |
| SerbianLatin_Montenegro | 29. avgust 2021. |
| SerbianLatin_Serbia | 29. avgust 2021. |
| Slovak_Slovakia | 2021, augusta 29 |
| Slovenian_Slovenia | 2021, avgust 29 |
| Spanish_Argentina | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Bolivia | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Chile | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Colombia | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_CostaRica | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_DominicanRepublic | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Ecuador | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_ElSalvador | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Guatemala | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Honduras | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Mexico | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Nicaragua | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Panama | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Paraguay | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Peru | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_PuertoRico | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Spain | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_UnitedStates | 29 agosto 2021 |
| Spanish_Uruguay | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Spanish_Venezuela | 29 de agosto de 2021 |
| Swedish_Sweden | den 29 augusti 2021 |
| Tagalog_Philippines | Agosto 29, 2021 |
| Tamil_India | 29-08-2021 |
| Telugu_India | 29-08-21 |
| Thai_Thailand | 29/08/2021 |
| Turkish_Turkey | 29 Ağustos 2021 |
| Ukrainian_Ukraine | 29.08.21 |
| Vietnamese_Vietnam | 29 tháng tám 2021 |