Re: Create TimeStamp from numeric fields

[Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rob, I'm pretty sure there was a day when YOU stored dates in numeric 
fields - maybe even 7,0 with a century.

Hey, there is old stuff that just doesn't get changed. You have been 
fortunate to be allowed to do so.

Merry Thanksgiving almost!

rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Why would anyone store a date in an 8,2 field?
>
> Actually I often wonder why anyone would store a date in a numeric field 
> in the first place.  But, let's get to the problem.
>
> Starting with here
> http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/books/sc092508.pdf
> Search for the %timestamp bif (built in function).  When you find that you 
> will see that you will have to take those numerics and convert them to 
> character.  After doing that you will have to appropriately concatenate 
> them, and some separator characters, into a character representation of a 
> time stamp.  You'll see all that at that reference.
> Once you have the first timestamp, and the second timestamp, research the 
> %diff bif, and you're in like Flynn.
>
> Please take no offense at this RTM suggestion - I meant none.
>
> Many people will take this and create their own bif.  They do this by 
> creating a "subprocedure".  This allows you to do something like
> TimeStampOne=ConvertToTimestamp(My80DateOne : My60TimeOne);
> TimeStampTwo=ConvertToTimestamp(My80DateTwo : My60TimeTwo);
> MinutesSpread=%diff(TimeStampOne : TimeStampTwo : *minutes);
>
> Rob Berendt
>