Re: Specifying Dates in DDS

At 12:23 PM 3/10/98 +0000, you wrote:
>     
>     I have always believed that the best and most efficient way (from a 
>     retrieval and manipulation point of view) to store dates in a physical 
>     file is in the format 
>     
>     A          CC    2S 0
>     A          YY    2S 0
>     A          MM    2S 0
>     A          DD    2S 0
>     
>     I've been asked to consider using;
>     
>     A          DAT   8D 
>     
>     Now I'm an old stick in the mud with tunnel vision, so can anyone tell 
>     me the pros and cons of both methods so that I can make an informed 
>     decision on this ?
>     
>     Neil Holley-Williams
>     Southampton, UK
>      
I prefer the   8 format.
If you go to date data types  you will have to be  more concerned with the
validity rules  for  dates  and those of that  data type.

"L'' type offers new functions and  helps ensure date fields have only
valid date data. You  might want to  think about  those  funny dates in
your  Db that have special meaning  like 999999 or 000000 &  other
variations. Then what happens to your program code.


Glenn
___________________________________________________
Glenn Ericson,          Phoenix Consulting                      
P O Box 701164   East Elmhurst NY 11370-3164 USA                            
Phone 718 898 9805       Fax 718 446 1150
AS/400 & Year 2000- - Solutions Specialists
 © 1998 copyright,  all rights reserved
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