INTCK function examples This article is about the INTCK function.

I believe that the best way to underst and how it works is to see some easy examples. Therefore this article contains m any of them. Some additional date and time function are also included. Everyone knows that the INTCK function returns the integer count of the number o f interval boundaries between two dates, two times, or two datetime values. (c) SAS Help. In the following Example1 you see how this function works within some basic intervals: Example1. Date arguments. years=intck('year','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); SEMIYEAR=intck('SEMIYEAR','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); quarters=intck('qtr','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); months=intck('month','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); weeks=intck('week','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); days=intck('day','01jan2009'd,'01jan2010'd); In the example above we count the difference between two dates: 01-Jan-2009 and 01-Jan-2010 (one year). The result values will be: years = 1 semiyears = 2 quarters= 4 months = 12 weeks = 52 days = 365 Example2. Datetime arguments. hours=intck('hour','01jan2009:00:00:00'dt,'01jan2010:00:00:00'dt); minutes=intck('minute','01jan2009:00:00:00'dt,'01jan2010:00:00:00'dt); seconds=intck('second','01jan2009:00:00:00'dt,'01jan2010:00:00:00'dt); The result values will be: hours= 8760 minutes= 525600 seconds= 31536000 Example3. Time arguments. hours=intck('hour','00:00:00't,'12:00:00't); minutes=intck('minute','00:00:00't,'12:00:00't); seconds=intck('second','00:00:00't,'12:00:00't); In the example3 (above) we count the difference between two time values: 00:00:0 0 (midnight) and 12:00:00 (midday). The result values will be: hours= 12 minutes= 720 seconds= 43200 Important notice! The INTCK functions does not count the number of complete inte rvals between two values. The example below shows how it calculates the 'YEAR' d ifference between 31-Dec and 1-Jan: Example4. Boundaries.

years=intck('year','31dec2009'd,'01jan2010'd); The result values will be: years= 1 Since you know that it is just ONE DAY and it is not a YEAR the results could be mistakenly considered as incorrect. Please be aware that it returns the integer count of the number of interval boundaries between two dates. In the example ab ove the boundary is the value of '01JAN2010'd that is included (just once) into the interval. My solution is simple. You just have to use 'day365' instead of 'year'. The 'day 365' paremeter tells to the INTCK function to multiply day by 365 times. Look at the next example: Example5. Days multiplied by 365. days365=intck('day365','31dec2009'd,'01jan2010'd); The result values will be: days365 = 0 And that is what we've expected. Actually, you are free to combine it the way yo u need (e.g. year2 or week4). Some operations with changing formats are also helpful when you deal with the IN TCK function. Please take a look at the next examples. I believe it is quite eas y to understand how it works. Example6. Datepart() Timepart() functions. format a1 b1 date9.; a0='01jan2009:00:00:00'dt; b0='01jan2010:00:00:00'dt; a1=datepart(a0); b1=datepart(b0); days=intck('day',a1,b1); The result value will be: days = 365 format a1 b1 date9.; a0='01jan2009:00:00:00'dt; b0='01jan2010:12:00:00'dt; a1=timepart(a0); b1=timepart(b0); hour=intck('hour',a1,b1); The result value will be: hour= 12 You might find it helpful to use the INTNX function along with the INTCK.