NLS_DATE_FORMAT & Y2K

I have a question about the NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter (amonng others).

I have a whole host of users and developers who constantly insert data of type DATE in the form '10-FEB-98'. When I query the tables with the the NLS_DATE_FORMAT set to 'DD-MON-YYYY' I get '10-FEB-0098'. If I query the tables with the NLS_DATE_FORMAT set to 'DD-MON-RRYY' I get '10-FEB-1998'. Which leaves me wondering if the dates are actually stored incorrectly but being converted during presentation. If someone retrieves these rows without explicitly formatting them properly, they could be in for a big surprise.

Since I can't count on the developers to force a 4-digit year, I'm looking for a way to properly default using NLS parameters in the INIT.ora file. I want to force a correct default (via RR) at the time of insertion. Thus far a solution has eluded me. Can anyone offer some insight on a foolproof way to solve this problem.

Ed Jennings

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