RE: Specifying Dates in DDS

[John Carr <74711.77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

RE:     RE: Specifying Dates in DDS


>You forgot the biggest disadantage.  A date type cannot have zeros in
>it, so checking say for a ship date you have to compare it to whatever
>you are using for a null value (ie 01-01-0001) or *LOVAL.
>>Bradley V. Stone      

I disagree Brad.
True,  00/00/00 is not a valid date.  Neither is 99/99/99. You/We have used
these values in our programs for years.  BUT all the while we were using 
them they were really RESERVED SPECIAL VALUES in our code.  Our code did
SPECIAL things when it saw a 00/00/00 or 99/99/99 date.  BTW most of the 
time these SPECIAL values had meanings that was embedded in our code and
only known by the programming staff and a few users.  (ask an average
user what the business logic is that is associated with a 99/99/99 due date
on an order?  Does it mean the product is "Back ordered" as it does in 
some shops I've been in?)

The only thing different now is we have NEW special values.  You can 
make the same unspoken agreement with the users that 9999/12/31 means
an order is back ordered.

After 3 years of 100% usage of date data types in development,
THEY ARE GREAT.

John Carr
EdgeTech
BTW,  What "perceivible" performance disadvantage is there now?
None.
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