Y2K conversion process

From: <argosy22_at_my-deja.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 19:15:38 GMT
Message-ID: <848da4$hjs$1@nnrp1.deja.com>

HI all,

We are now finally getting down to the Y2K issue!! (Not my decision to leave it until the last week!)

We have a number of fields in our Oracle database concerning the year: AD_ED, EDITION_YEAR, etc. Varchar2. In some tables, they are 4 digits, but most are 2 digits.

I have been looking into issue.
In the big picture, we have:

1) 	table structures, and data
2)	processes which use this data

(the same two key ingredients for an object).

If the table structures are changed, then the processes using the tables must also be changed.

There are no real calculations done on these fields (ie. YEAR + 1)

I have been using the substr function in anything that I have coded since coming here this fall: substr(YEAR, -2, 2)
which will ensure that only the last two digits are used from the string. This was used when joining a 2 digit, to a 4 digit year.

In the code, I have also found:
to_char(to_date(ad_ed,'RR'),'YYYY'),
- which will return a four digit year in character format.

These fields for the year are basically used in SELECTs and joins. There are no calculations done with it, such as: year + 1, etc.

My initial thoughts for the conversion are:

• change all the processes so that they use one of the above functions, ensuring that ALL fields with the varchar2 year field are either 2 or 4 digits.
• change the table structures, and the data in them, from 2 to 4 digits.
• change all the processes again so that they read the 4 digit fields in the tables in the normal manner.

How we modify the two, and manage the change process is one big question.

So experienced people, does this sound like a good idea? Any other ideas?
Does anyone knows of any websites that have overall outlines for dealing with the conversion?

Regards,

Argosy

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Before you buy. Received on Mon Dec 27 1999 - 13:15:38 CST