Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the PICTURE statement?

The statement correctly identifies that the PICTURE statement cannot format non-numeric values. The PICTURE statement is primarily designed for numeric data types, allowing users to define a range of formatting options for numbers, such as specifying how many decimal places to display, adding characters for thousands separators, or defining how negative numbers appear.

In contrast, the first choice emphasizes that the PICTURE statement is specific to PROC FORMAT, which is true since this procedure is where the statement is utilized to create custom formats. The second choice correctly notes that it can also format date values, as numeric formats in SAS can sometimes be applied to datetime values as well. The fourth choice highlights that the PICTURE statement is used to create templates that define how numeric data should be displayed, showcasing its purpose effectively.

By understanding that the PICTURE statement is meant for numeric formatting and does not cater to non-numeric data types, one can clearly define its limitations as a characteristic.