[sas] How to convert String to Date value in SAS?

As stated above, the simple answer is:

date = input(monyy,date9.);

with the addition of:

put date=yymmdd.;

The reason why this works, and what you did doesn't, is because of a common misunderstanding in SAS. DATE9. is an INFORMAT. In an INPUT statement, it provides the SAS interpreter with a set of translation commands it can send to the compiler to turn your text into the right numbers, which will then look like a date once the right FORMAT is applied. FORMATs are just visible representations of numbers (or characters). So by using YYMMDD., you confused the INPUT function by handing it a FORMAT instead of an INFORMAT, and probably got a helpful error that said:

Invalid argument to INPUT function at line... etc...

Which told you absolutely nothing about what to do next.

In summary, to represent your character date as a YYMMDD. In SAS you need to:

1. change the INFORMAT - date = input(monyy,date9.);
2. apply the FORMAT - put date=YYMMDD10.;