4 digit date?

[bvining@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Michele,

For IBM supplied screens there should be no change in the date format
used come Jan 1 2000.  If the screen or report is currently xx/xx/xx
on Dec 21 1999, it will still be xx/xx/xx on Jan 1 2000 (for instance
DSPJOB OPTION(*STSA) and the date the job entered the system); if it's
currently xx/xx/xxxx, it will continue to be xx/xx/xxxx (for instance
DSPJOB OPTION(*DFNA) and the current job date).

This is not, however, to say the system is internally only using 2-digit
years -- it simply means the system is electing to display only the
2-digit year portion of the date.  This approach, showing only 2-digits,
is generally consider OK for end-user displays/reports as most users
can reasonably associate a given century with a given transaction,
inquiry, etc.  Where a century can be ambiguous (birthdate for
instance) or troublesome (a developer debugging a problem may need to
know beyond a doubt the job date with DSPJOB OPTION(*DFNA)) a 4-digit
year should be available.

In fact some parts of the world would be very upset if the system just
automatically starting displaying 4-digit years.  In Thailand, for
example, some systems are currently running in the year 2042 in order
to simulate the Buddhist calendar year of 2542.  These systems rely on
the system to only show the '42' in order to give the appearance of
running in their local calendar.  For similiar reasons other systems
are running (today) with a 2-digit year values of 11, 88, etc.  This is
why system values such as QLEAPADJ are in the system (though these
system values are not sufficient to correctly do some calculations like
day of week determination -- but that's another story/thread).

So to answer your question -- the date formats used on screens will not
automatically change to a 4-digit year.  They will continue to look
just like they do in 1999.  The display format used in a product is not,
in and of itself, an indication of whether or not a product is Y2K
Ready.

Bruce

>
>Maybe this is a nonsense question, but I would like to know....
>
>When you are on the AS/400, the date is displayed on the left of the
>screen, in certain areas, as XX/XX/XX.  Once the new year is here, does
>anyone know if that date then changes to a 4 digit year?  I was asked
>and other than changing our systems date, and IPLing, I do not know how
>to find out.  Anyone know?
>
>Thanks again!
>


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