RE: SQL date comparison - a better way?

midrange-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>   4. RE: SQL date comparison - a better way? (rob)
>
>You're questionable about the new fields needing the maintenance program 
>recompiled.  If I add a field that converts a 6 digit date into a true 
>date field, the maintenance on that could easily be handled with a 
>trigger.  However, in a perfect world, the maintenance program would use a 
>true date field and the trigger would convert that into the 6 digit date 
>field for compatibility with the other programs.  Thus getting the right 
>date and not having to use a cut off date.

Rob, I don't see near enough of other techniques for such things, but it seems 
to me that, for most shops, a trigger program that modifies/converts values 
between fields is an example of a maintenance program that ought to be 
recompiled when fields are added to the underlying table. For "most shops", 
that is. Yours may be better.

While buffer offsets to locate the record images are supplied, the actual 
record structure may have changed. I'd want to be certain the new structure was 
brought in. This is not nearly as important in the methodology that you 
advocated where new fields are always added at the end, but I'd tend to be 
cautious anyway.

I also see that you may mean that rather than "re-compiling" an existing 
maintenance program, you can instead extend the file maintenance portion of the 
application by creating, compiling and adding a new trigger. Seems reasonable. 
Part of my appreciation of the whole relational database concept is the ability 
to extend an existing database without disrupting current function.

Tom Liotta

-- 
Tom Liotta
The PowerTech Group, Inc.
19426 68th Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
Phone  253-872-7788 x313
Fax    253-872-7904
http://www.powertechgroup.com


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