Job dates

>
> >> Note that the system does provide support for various windowing
>techniques of 2-digit years --  they just don't apply to how the system
>treats job dates.
>
>Thanks for the clarification Bruce.  It is also worth pointing out that
>this fixed window is the one used by RPG, COBOL, etc. when handling two
>digit dates.  I assume SQL is the same as the underlying support is the
>same.  For this reason I can't see that the window could be changed other
>than by introducing new date formats.  It would be a disaster waiting to
>happen.
>

While the current window is indeed fixed from the point of view of
RPG, SQL, Query, etc. I'm not sure that introducing a new system value
such as (to make one up) QBASEYEAR where a default value of 1940 would
indicate that the system should interpret 2-digit years within the range
of 1940 to 1940+99 would necessarily create a disaster.  The introduction
of such a system value would imply that the various languages, utilities,
and such would need to start making a run-time (as opposed to compile
hard code) check for year range, and most likely necessitate the
recompilation of applications that would utilize the new window
definition, but with sufficient planning one could then change the
theoretical QBASEYEAR to say 1970 without having to introduce new date
formats (and subsequent updates to all the code written to only
recognize the old date formats).  Obviously such a change would have
to be planned also to take into consideration that the dates of 1940 to
1969 (in my example) just disappeared from a 2-digit year point of view
(they became 2040 to 2069...don't you just love windows?)

With such a change, CHGJOB DATE(061550) could now be June 15 2050 (where
today you would have to specify CHGJOB DATE(06152050) which I personally
consider to be a much clearer way to specify it -- using the 4-digit
year -- anyway).

Could a disaster happen?  Absolutely if proper planning is not done.  The
same is also true of changing quite a few other system values.

Bruce



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