Re[2]: Storing dates - revisted...

     If you've got the space on the screen or report, use full date. I 
     have a few legacy pgms that cram so much $%!^ on the screen theres 
     no way to squeeze two more bytes in. Otherwise, I think it's ALWAYS 
     wise to show more than less. (Perhaps that statement should not 
     apply to CUDS attendees <g>) 
     
     eric.delong@pmsi-services.com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Storing dates - revisted... 
Author:  <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com > at INET_WACO
Date:    9/23/98 8:17 AM


Thanks James !
     
The main reason that I'm wrestling with this is for stuff I've written; our 
application code handles this. I haven't had the time to devote to the new date 
stuff (haven't been in the "programming" side of things for a while and other st
f
was taking priority...) but it's time to start learning ! I have kept up on the 
various articles, but have a ways to go to actually do anything with it <BG>...
     
Boy were YOU guys forward thinking (1988) !!! Congrats...
     
Write now (quick and dirty) I've settled on a routine that checks SYSVAL 
QCENTURY and then adds a 19 (if 0) or a 20 (if 1) to the "first" part of the 
year deal, using a bunch of DATA AREAS and "flip-flopping" things around. I'm 
talking files with no more than 100-200 records in them so not much impact...
     
I am even using an edit word to edit MMDDYYYY to MM/D/YYYY for the screen displa
!
     
Which brings up ANOTHER point - what are people doing about the actual "output" 
?
     
Including the WHOLE date (i.e. 09/23/1998) or sticking with the "norm" (09/23/98
?
     
I wasn't sure what the thoughts were on if 01/10/00 is going to confuse users, 
where 01/01/2000 would be clearer ??
     
TO THE BOOKS !!!!
     
Thanks !
     
Chuck
     
James W. Kilgore wrote:
     
> We adopted the CYYMMDD format (in 1988) for one reason and one reason only: 
>
> That's what the command processor returns on a *DATE parameter type. 
>
> It also only occupies 4 bytes of disk space (the same as a date data type from
> what I've read).
>
> We even tried to get "cute" by outputting an "x" (unsigned) edit code to have 
a > packed 4 space , 8 digit YYYYMMDD field loooong before date data types (CPF 
4) > but "cute" was more trouble than it was worth. (it didn't work)
>
> IMHO, if you have the opportunity, do the "L" date thing and be ready for the 
> next millennium.
>
> James W. Kilgore
> qappdsn@ibm.net
>
> DAsmussen@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Chuck,
> >
> > In a message dated 98-09-21 13:41:01 EDT, you write: 
> >
> > > You can change all of your old date storage in files from YY/MM/DD to 
> > >  YYYY/MM/DD. Is that what folks are doing ?
> >
> > One vote for CCYYMMDD...
> >
> >
> > "A man who is not a liberal in his youth has no heart.  A man who is not 
> > conservative in his later years has no brain." -- Otto Van Bismarck
> >
>
> P.S. Dean,  The way I heard it, it was Ben Franklin: "If you're 20 and not a 
> socialist you have not heart.  If you're 30 and still a socialist you have no 
> brains."  It's that darn revisionist history!
>
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