Re: I guess I don't know dates -- RPG400-L

Assuming you are displaying using the debugger, my guess would be that
the debugger just shows dates in the *MDY format by default. There
might be some kind of parameter that effects it.

On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 11:12 AM, Alan Shore <ashore@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Tom
This is the way that I understand date fields to work, hopefully someone will point out the error of my ways.

A date field will hold the same value for the same date (number of days since a particular date), irrespective of the format (*MDY, *YMD, *USA etc. with or without separators)
The date format is to be used ONLY when you want to display that date (on a screen, report etc.)
When you say " when these values are then moved into the fields as defined in the DDS PF (definition example shown below), they all get *MDY. "
That is probably due to what the system/job parameter is set for

Alan Shore
Programmer/Analyst, Direct Response
E:AShore@xxxxxxxx
P:(631) 200-5019
C:(631) 880-8640
"If you're going through Hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Thomas Garvey
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 12:14 PM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: I guess I don't know dates

I'm perplexed by something that must be very simple, yet I must be ignorant.
I can't get date data type fields populated in a PF correctly.

I have a DDS physical file with date data type fields defined with various date formats (*USA, *ISO, *MDY, *JUL, etc.). The fields that permit use of the DATSEP parameter do have it specified.

This file is populated (by RPGLE program X) from another file with numeric values in the form of YYYYMMDD. Program X has stand alone date data type fields defined with each of the various formats and separators (example below).

d DateMDY s d datfmt(*MDY )
mm/dd/yy
d DateMDYSlsh s d datfmt(*MDY/)
mm/dd/yy
d DateMDYDash s d datfmt(*MDY-)
mm-dd-yy
d DateMDYPerd s d datfmt(*MDY.)
mm.dd.yy
d DateMDYComm s d datfmt(*MDY,)
mm,dd,yy
d DateMDYAmph s d datfmt(*MDY&)
mm dd yy
d DateDMY s d datfmt(*DMY)
dd/mm/yy
d DateDMYSlsh s d datfmt(*DMY/)
dd/mm/yy
d DateDMYDash s d datfmt(*DMY-)
dd-mm-yy
d DateDMYPerd s d datfmt(*DMY.)
dd.mm.yy
d DateDMYComm s d datfmt(*DMY,)
dd,mm,yy
d DateDMYAmph s d datfmt(*DMY&)
dd mm yy
d DateYMD s d datfmt(*YMD)
yy/mm/dd
d DateYMDSlsh s d datfmt(*YMD/)
yy/mm/dd
d DateYMDDash s d datfmt(*YMD-)
yy-mm-dd
d DateYMDPerd s d datfmt(*YMD.)
yy.mm.dd
d DateYMDComm s d datfmt(*YMD,)
yy,mm,dd
d DateYMDAmph s d datfmt(*YMD&)
yy mm dd
d DateJUL s d datfmt(*JUL)
yy/ddd
d DateJULSlsh s d datfmt(*JUL/)
yy/ddd
d DateJULDash s d datfmt(*JUL-)
yy-ddd
d DateJULPerd s d datfmt(*JUL.)
yy.ddd
d DateJULComm s d datfmt(*JUL,)
yy,ddd
d DateJULAmph s d datfmt(*JUL&)
yy ddd
d DateISO s d datfmt(*ISO)
yyyy-mm-dd
d DateISODash s d datfmt(*ISO-)
yyyy-mm-dd
d DateUSA s d datfmt(*USA)
mm/dd/yyyy
d DateUSASlsh s d datfmt(*USA/)
mm/dd/yyyy
d DateEUR s d datfmt(*EUR)
dd.mm.yyyy
d DateEURPerd s d datfmt(*EUR.)
dd.mm.yyyy
d DateJIS s d datfmt(*JIS)
yyyy-mm-dd
d DateJISDash s d datfmt(*JIS-)
yyyy-mm-dd

So, my program X logic moves the numeric value (in YYYYMMDD format) into the DateISO field (defined as *ISO) and then moves the DateISO into each of the stand alone fields shown above. The resulting values are all correct as defined. That is, they contain exactly what they should contain (the same date value, but in the field's format and separator). This is verified using debugger.

However, when these values are then moved into the fields as defined in the DDS PF (definition example shown below), they all get *MDY. Doesn't matter how they are defined in the DDS.
A DUSASLSH L DATFMT(*USA)
A COLHDG('Date' 'USA Slash')
A DISODASH L DATFMT(*ISO)
A COLHDG('Date' 'ISO Dash')
A DEURPERD L DATFMT(*EUR)
A COLHDG('Date' 'EUR Perd')
A DMDYSLSH L DATFMT(*MDY)
A DATSEP('/')
A COLHDG('Date' 'MDY Slsh')
A DMDYDASH L DATFMT(*MDY)
A DATSEP('-')
A COLHDG('Date' 'MDY Dash')
A DMDYPERD L DATFMT(*MDY)
A DATSEP('.')
A COLHDG('Date' 'MDY Perd')
A DMDYCOMM L DATFMT(*MDY)
A DATSEP(',')
A COLHDG('Date' 'MDY Comm')
A DMDYNONE L DATFMT(*MDY)
A DATSEP(' ')

What is up with that? What am I ignorant of? What am I missing? There is no DATFMT specification in any H spec. The system's default format
(QDATFMT) is MDY but I can't believe that is controling here.
I always thought moving a date data type field to another date data type field simply changes the format of the value.

Straighten me out here, please.

Tom Garvey

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