A user defined format has been created using the FORMAT procedure.Where is it stored?
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in a SAS catalog
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in an external binary file
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in a SAS data set in the WORK library
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in a SAS data set in a permanent library
User-defined formats in SAS are stored in a SAS catalog, which is a binary file storing format definitions. Formats are NOT stored in SAS datasets (neither WORK nor permanent libraries), nor in external binary files. Catalogs typically reside in a library's formats catalog.
A user-defined format created with PROC FORMAT is stored as a catalog entry in a SAS catalog (by default WORK.FORMATS unless a library is specified), not as a data set or external binary file. This is why formats must be loaded via a format search path (FMTSEARCH) or LIBRARY= option when referenced from another session.