Re: Date Data Type Question.

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Charlie,

The 100 year window IS NOT and will not be IBM's problem any more than the 
current Y2K fiasco 
is their problem.  Support for 2-digit years within the 1940 to 2039 window is 
provided to 
allow existing applications to handle dates as DATE data types in a form 
similar to the 
'standard' numeric date fields but with system support for duration 
calculations and format 
changes.  This support also allows easy conversion from the 2-digit year format 
to a 4-digit 
year format, which is what should be happening as part of the Y2K fixes so 
no-one ever runs 
into this problem again.

If someone choose to write an application using that window then it is their 
problem when that 
window reaches its end.  If a company's solution to the Y2K problem is to 
convert 6 digit 
numeric dates to DATE data types with 2-digit years then they are stupid and do 
not understand 
the Y2K issues anyway.

If an application is to handle any date ever (rather than dates within the 
expected life of 
the application) then use the DATE data types in a 4-digit year format.

I do agree with you about the rather short-sighted design of the *CYMD support.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

//----------------------------------------------------------
// FlyByNight Software         AS/400 Technical Specialists
// Phone: +61 3 9419 0175      Mobile: +61 3 0411 091 400
// Fax:   +61 3 9419 0175      E-mail: shc@flybynight.com.au
// 
// Windoze should not be open at Warp speed.
 

//--- forwarded letter -------------------------------------------------------
> X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Version 1.4.5
> Date: Wed, 08 Apr 98 18:58:52 -0400
> From: cmassoglia@vixa.voyager.net
> To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Reply-To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: Date Data Type Question.

> 
> Jerry et al,
> 
> DO NOT USE *MDY, *YMD, *DMY, or *JUL moves in RPG IV!!!  This is a hard
> coded 1940 to 2039 window.  I hope I am alive in the year 2039 to see how
> IBM explains why we have to go through this Y2K thing over again.

******** stuff deleted ******************************************* 
 
> Charlie Massoglia, Massoglia Technical Consulting, Inc.
> PO Box 1065, Okemos, MI 48854, USA
> 517-676-9700  Fax: 517-676-1006  EMAIL: cmassoglia@voyager.net

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