Export the types of variables in a SAS dataset

Question

Is there any easy way to capture and export the type of each variable in a SAS dataset? I'm exporting a dataset to CSV format to read into R, and the read.table procedure in the latter can work more efficiently if it also knows the data type of each variable.

Answer 1

PROC CONTENTS has an OUT= option to ouput a dataset with variable attributes. type=1 is numeric and type=2 is character. HTH.

   proc contents data=sashelp.class out=vars;
   run;

   proc print data=vars noobs;
     var varnum name type length;
   run;
   /* on lst
   VARNUM    NAME      TYPE    LENGTH

      3      Age         1        8
      4      Height      1        8
      1      Name        2        8
      2      Sex         2        1
      5      Weight      1        8
   */