Re:RE: Legacy code.

>At 06:47 PM 9/15/97 +0000, you wrote:
>
>>>  2. Maintenance.  Do we REALLY want to implement yet another
>>>      way to handle dates?  We already have: Julian (YYDDD),
>>>      Gregorian (MMDDYY), Inverted Gregorian (YYMMDD),
>>>      Inverted Gregorian plus century digit (CYYMMDD - Synon),
>>>      Inverted full Gregorian (YYYYMMDD) All thanks to legacy
>>>      code.  We have been focussing our maintenance efforts on
>>>      using the YYYYMMDD form to store dates in the database
>>>      because it is "natural;" Queries, EIS tools, Data warehouse
>>>      tools, data interchange are all easier.  Any variety of RPG
>>>      (or any language) can read this form and understand it...
>
>%%% Good way to  fold it all together in a bundle
>
>>SNIP<<...
>>
>>And retrofit the old database and software?  For free?  This is so thorny
>>an issue.  I'm in favour of a standard API, but the best I could do was
>>convince management to commit to was to retrofit if the occasion arises;
>>new dates in the database are to be YYYYMMDD, when we run across
>>other formats, we make a log so we can go back and fix them later, when
>>the clients decide to approve Y2K fees....
>>
>
>Buck
>How  difficult is it for you to approve clients to approve Y2K money in the
>Rensselar area?
>Are most of your clients  waiting it out or what?
>How  far off is later?
>
>Standard date routines/interfaces/APIs  whatever are helpful - some more
>than others

Glenn,
  Our clients are independent telephone and cellular companies across the US.
In the past, we have done custom programming for these clients, but our new
direction is to provide a more generic product.  This new product is written
using Synon 2/E, and is Y2K compliant.  Some customers will migrate to the
new product; the rest will need Y2K mods.  They're working out the economics
now.  We're not certain how long we can let them wait to decide...

Buck Calabro
Commsoft, Rensselaer, NY

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