RE: Help in using DATFMT in RPG/400

And one more thing...
While using this date field in the Subfile, I can no longer use the 
DATFMT(*YMD) because it conflicts with the RPG code compilation where the field 
is converted (remember the *CVTOPT) to a 10 character (*ISO) field and gives an 
error of redefining the field with 8 character (*YMD) in Display file.

Neither I could move the result of TIME opcode directly to PF, but had to go 
breaking it up in DS, adding separators..
I think unless my compiler identifies the Date data type we would loose the 
benefits of a date type then!

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Chaudhary, Sachin (GE
Equipment Services, Consultant)
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 10:07 PM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Help in using DATFMT in RPG/400
Importance: High


Thanks Jonathan and Birggita.
It worked fine!!
Except that I had to use Compile option *CVTOPT as *TIMEDATE as the compiler 
did not accept the DATE/TIME fields.
However this changed the Date field format to Character....so could not move 
TIME result directly into the PF date field , but had to add seperators '-', 
etc and then write to the file.

Regards,
Sachin


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Hauser, Birgitta
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 2:51 AM
To: 'rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: Help in using DATFMT in RPG/400


>>1. Why can't I use DATFMT(*ISO) with DATSEP('/') for a field in Physical
file? 
>>If it is a limitation ...any workaround ?
>>The default for *ISO is yyyy-mm-dd.

A date is always stored as binary value.
The date format specified in an physical file does nothing else 
then to convert the binary value into a readable representation.
For all date formats with a 4 digit year the date separator is predefined
and cannot be changed.
For all date formats with a 2 digit year the date separator you can choose
between several date separators.

>>2. While displaying this field on to a Subfile, can I convert it to
yy/mm/dd 
>>using some edit code or I have to do the conversion in RPG code and then 
>>display it?

In an display file you can add DATFMT(*YMD) for an date field (data type L).
DATFMT(*YMD) will convert a date into a YY/MM/DD representation of the date.


>>3. Another problem is that I am using TIME to retrieve the current system
date 
>>(can't use UDATE/*DATE which gives job date so it doesn't change if job
was 
>>started just before midnight). But TIME does not give century (out put for
time 
>>is yymmddhhmmss). How can achieve that in RPG code? I want to store the
output 
>>to PF field mentioned in point 1. One way would be retrieving century from

>>*YEAR, and rest of the date-time from TIME opcode! Wanted to know if I am 
>>missing any opcode, which could do it directly!!

If you define the output field for time with 14,0 the century will be
returned.
If you are using RPGIV, than you can fill your date field in your file by:
1. using the TIME operation code with the Date field from your physical file
as result field.
2. using the %Date() built-in-function without specifying any parameter and
the date field from your physical file as result field

Birgitta