SAS provides a number of informats for reading binary data and corresponding formats
for writing binary data. Some of these informats read data in native mode, that is, by
using the byte-ordering system that is standard for the system on which SAS is running.
Other informats force the data to be read by the IBM 370 standard, regardless of the
native mode of the system on which SAS is running. The informats that read in native or
IBM 370 mode are listed in the following table.
Table 19.6 Informats for Native or IBM 370 Mode
Description Native Mode Informats
IBM 370 Mode
Informats
ASCII Character $w. $ASCIIw.
ASCII Numeric w.d $ASCIIw.
EBCDIC Character $w. $EBCDICw.
EBCDIC Numeric (Standard) w.d S370FFw.d
Integer Binary IBw.d S370FIBw.d
Positive Integer Binary PIBw.d S370FPIBw.d
Real Binary RBw.d S370FRBw.d
Unsigned Integer Binary PIBw.d S370FIBUw.d,
S370FPIBw.d
Packed Decimal PDw.d S370FPDw.d
Unsigned Packed Decimal PKw.d S370FPDUw.d or PKw.d
Zoned Decimal ZDw.d S370FZDw.d
Zoned Decimal Leading Sign S370FZDLw.d S370FZDLw.d
Zoned Decimal Separate Leading
Sign
S370FZDSw.d S370FZDSw.d
Zoned Decimal Separate Trailing
Sign
S370FZDTw.d S370FZDTw.d
Unsigned Zoned Decimal ZDw.d S370FZDUw.d
If you write a SAS program that reads binary data and that is run on only one type of
system, you can use the native mode informats and formats. However, if you want to
write SAS programs that can be run on multiple systems that use different byte-storage
systems, use the IBM 370 informats. The IBM 370 informats enable you to write SAS
programs that can read data in this format and that can be run in any SAS environment,
regardless of the standard for storing numeric data.
1
The IBM 370 informats can also be
1
For example, using the IBM 370 informats, you could download data that contain binary integers from a mainframe to a PC and then
use the S370FIB informats to read the data.
444 Chapter 19 • Reading Raw Data