RE: Date conversion technique, alpha to Numeric

That is correct.
The point of the original post was numeric fields that were used as 'dates' not
"D" data-type field.  But you are correct about "D" data-types (in RPG IV) and
"L" data-types in DDS.

-Bob Cozzi
www.i5PodCast.com
Ask your manager to watch i5 TV


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces+bob=rpgworld.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces+bob=rpgworld.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jerry Adams
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 7:37 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Date conversion technique, alpha to Numeric

Bob,

I may have missed it in the thread somewhere, but I would like a 
clarification as regards Date data types. 


My understanding is that the date is stored on disk in a binary format, 
and that it retains the same value regardless of the what DATFMT's value 
is.  That is, one program would have DATFMT(*ISO) and another program 
could have DATFMT(*USA) against the same table and that it is merely the 
presentation, say on a report or display, that differs. 


That, at least, seems to be the case from what I have read and from 
personal experience.  Corrections to ambiguities and/or errors in the 
above are welcomed.

Thanks.

        * Jerry C. Adams
*IBM System i5/iSeries Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
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        615.995.7024
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        jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Bob Cozzi wrote:

There are many ways to do this.
On is to call the QWCCVTDT API. This gives you the most flexibility.
Another you can use a bunch of nested built-in functions, similar to the
following:

    YYMMDD = %Dec(%date(CCYYMMDD: *ISO0):*YMD);

-Bob Cozzi
www.i5PodCast.com
Ask your manager to start watching i5 TV.