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https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6579221
Applications should be updated to move away from 2-digit year date formats rather than rely on the operating system to determine the century.
IBM Power Systems Development
We continue to work towards a solution for supporting current dates beyond the year 2039 for 2-digit year date formats (ie. *DMY, *YMD, *MDY) by implementing a new base year for the 100-year window. The support for a new base year will be staged across releases.
Commands and displays that accept a data type of *DATE on parameters will use this new 100-year window.
Database and RPG applications that use 2-digit date formats (without the century guard digit) will not use this new 100-year window because the operating system cannot know which century the application intended. Applications will be expected to change to use a date format that includes the century. Applications need not wait for any new support to make the necessary updates. The operating system added additional support prior to the year 2000 which included new date formats and updates to the Convert date (QWCCVTDT) API for using these new formats.
Note: The status of this RFE has been changed to Uncommitted Candidate because it would not allow an updated response in the Planned for Future release status. It should not be interpreted as a change to our current plan to support 2-digit year current dates for the year 2040 and beyond. Although please note the actual implementation may differ from the specific request as described in the Description section of this RFE.
Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
Brand - Servers and Systems Software
Product family - Power Systems
Product - IBM i
Component - Work Management and Messaging
Operating system - IBM i
Source - None
For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
Brand - Servers and Systems Software
Product family - Power Systems
Product - IBM i
Component - Core OS
Operating system - IBM i
Source - None
6 Digit dates are dangerous to use even if and when IBM moves the base year from 1940 to another year.
There are historical dates, future dates, and Dates of Birth. Some of them may cross centuries.
Therefore the fix needs to be a double one:
1. Give the ability to change the base year from 1940 to another year.
2. A compiler option to prevent compiling a program that use 6 digit dates.
And we will appreciate if IBM adds one more goody: an edit code that will shorten a date to show only 6 digits on the screen. This will solve the problem that some times programmers code 6 digit dates in order to have room on the screen or report.
6 Digit dates are dangerous to use even if and when IBM moves the base year from 1940 to another year.
There are historical dates, future dates, and Dates of Birth. Some of them may cross centuries.
Therefore the fix needs to be a double one:
1. Give the ability to change the base year from 1940 to another year.
2. A compiler option to prevent compiling a program that use 6 digit dates.
And we will appreciate if IBM adds one more goody: an edit code that will shorten a date to show only 6 digits on the screen. This will solve the problem that some times programmers code 6 digit dates in order to have room on the screen or report.
We have a plan in place for the 2-digit year date range that "wraps" back to 1940 after 2039. The supported date range will be changed to use a different base year.
To JonParis:
IBM declined to fix this problem, as you may see it in the following request:
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=102980
So the least IBM could do is to block all 6 digits Date Operations at the compiler level. Otherwise it is like building a bridge that will colapse in 23 years. And in cases of future date like Due date or expiration date, it may colpase sometimes today.
I voted for this BUT not for the proposed implementation. This is a system date windowing issue - not one to be "fixed" by the compilers. Date formats in the database would also need to be addressed.
I have to believe that the system has plans in place for this - back in 2000 we knew this was an issue going forward.