What does the TODAY() function do in SAS?

The TODAY() function in SAS is designed to return the current date as an integer value based on the system clock. This function provides the date in the format of the number of days since January 1, 1960. This means that it captures the date at the moment the function is called, making it useful for generating reports or tracking time-sensitive data with the exact current date.

The function primarily focuses on providing the date and does not deal with formatting or performing calculations related to time or future dates. Other functions or techniques would be required to format the date for display purposes or to calculate durations until future dates. The ability of TODAY() to serve as a straightforward means to retrieve the current date is crucial for many data management tasks where timestamping is essential.