diff --git a/base/mp_getformats.sas b/base/mp_getformats.sas
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+/**
+  @file
+  @brief Export format definitions
+  @details Formats are exported from the first (if any) catalog entry in the
+  FMTSEARCH path.
+
+  Formats are taken from the library / dataset reference and / or a static
+  format list.
+
+  Example usage:
+
+      %mp_getformats(lib=sashelp,ds=prdsale,outds=work.prdfmts)
+
+  @param [in] lib= (0) The libref for which to return formats.
+  @todo Enable exporting of formats for an entire library
+  @param [in] ds= (0) The dataset from which to obtain format definitions
+  @param [in] fmtstring= (0) A list of additional format names
+  @param [out] outsummary= (work.mp_getformats_summary) Output dataset
+    containing summary definitions - structure taken from dictionary.formats as
+    follows:
+|libname:$8.|memname:$32.|path:$1024.|objname:$32.|fmtname:$32.|fmttype:$1.|source:$1.|minw:best.|mind:best.|maxw:best.|maxd:best.|d
+efw:best.|defd:best.|
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+|||||$|F|B|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||||$|I|B|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWIANYDT|$ANYDTIF|I|U|1|0|60|0|19|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWFASCII|$ASCII|F|U|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWIASCII|$ASCII|I|U|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWFBASE6|$BASE64X|F|U|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWIBASE6|$BASE64X|I|U|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||/opt/sas/sas9/SASHome/SASFoundation/9.4/sasexe|UWFBIDI|$BIDI|F|U|1|0|32767|0|1|0|
+|||||$BINARY|F|B|1|0|32767|0|8|0|
+|||||$BINARY|I|B|1|0|32767|0|8|0|
+
+  @param [out] outdetail= (work.mp_getformats_detail) The output dataset to
+    contain the format definitions (from proc format CNTLOUT).  Sample data:
+
+  |NAME $|LENGTH 8|VARNUM 8|LABEL $|FORMAT $49|TYPE $1 |DDTYPE $|
+  |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+  |AIR|8|2|international airline travel (thousands)|8.|N|NUMERIC|
+  |DATE|8|1|DATE|MONYY.|N|DATE|
+  |REGION|3|3|REGION|$3.|C|CHARACTER|
+
+  <h4> SAS Macros </h4>
+  @li mf_dedup.sas
+  @li mf_getfmtlist.sas
+  @li mf_getfmtname.sas
+  @li mf_getquotedstr.sas
+
+
+  <h4> Related Macros </h4>
+  @li mp_getformats.test.sas
+
+  @version 9.2
+  @author Allan Bowe
+
+**/
+
+%macro mp_getformats(lib=0
+  ,ds=0
+  ,fmtstring=0
+  ,outsummary=work.mp_getformats_summary
+  ,outdetail=work.mp_getformats_detail
+);
+
+%local i fmt allfmts;
+%if "&fmtstring" ne "0" %then %do i=1 %to %sysfunc(countw(&fmtstring,,%str( )));
+  /* ensure format list contains format _name_ only */
+  %let fmt=%scan(&fmtstring,&i,%str( ));
+  %let fmt=%mf_getfmtname(&fmt);
+  %let allfmts=&allfmts &fmt;
+%end;
+
+%if &ds=0 and &lib ne 0 %then %do;
+  /* grab formats from library */
+  /* to do */
+%end;
+%else %if &ds ne 0 and &lib ne 0 %then %do;
+  /* grab formats from dataset */
+  %let allfmts=%mf_getfmtlist(&lib..&ds) &allfmts;
+%end;
+
+/* ensure list is unique */
+%let allfmts=%mf_dedup(%upcase(&allfmts));
+
+/* now we have the formats, lets figure out the search path */
+proc sql;
+create table &outsummary as
+  select * from dictionary.formats
+  where fmtname in (%mf_getquotedstr(&allfmts,quote=D))
+
+
+
+%mend mp_getformats;
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