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Change date format of variable contents

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sriblon

IS-IT--Management
Jul 9, 2009
10
US
I am importing a file into a datawindow, and my first row contains column headings. Some of these headings are dates and I need to change the format before using the dates as the text of datawindow column headings. I have the following code, but the date is not displaying correctly.
In my test file, the dates used are: 6-Jun-2009,13-Jun-2009,20-Jun-2009,27-Jun-2009,4-Jul-2009
The results I see are: 1/1/00, 6/13/20, 6/20/20, 6/27/20, 1/1/00

// Get all dates
ll_weekNum = 1
Do while ll_weekNum <=5
ls_columnName = "week" + String(ll_weekNum)
ls_date = dw_file_viewer.getitemstring(1,ls_columnName)
choose case ll_weekNum
case 1
ls_week1 = ls_date
case 2
ls_week2 = ls_date
case 3
ls_week3 = ls_date
case 4
ls_week4 = ls_date
case else
ls_week5 = ls_date
end choose
ll_weekNum ++
Loop

// Convert Strings to dates
RegistryGet("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International", "sShortDate", ls_shortdate) //storing user's date setting
RegistrySet("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International", "sShortDate", "d-Mmm-yyyy")
id_week1 = Date(ls_week1)
id_week2 = Date(ls_week2)
id_week3 = Date(ls_week3)
id_week4 = Date(ls_week4)
id_week5 = Date(ls_week5)

// Convert dates to correct format
RegistrySet("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International", "sShortDate", ls_shortdate)

// Convert dates to strings

ls_week1 = String(id_week1)
ls_week2 = String(id_week2)
ls_week3 = String(id_week3)
ls_week4 = String(id_week4)
ls_week5 = String(id_week5)

// Update column headings with new dates
ll_weekNum = 1
Do while ll_weekNum <=5
choose case ll_weekNum
case 1
ls_modify = "week1_t.text =~' " + ls_week1 + "~' "
case 2
ls_modify = "week2_t.text =~' " + ls_week2 + "~' "
case 3
ls_modify = "week3_t.text =~' " + ls_week3 + "~' "
case 4
ls_modify = "week4_t.text =~' " + ls_week4 + "~' "
case else
ls_modify = "week5_t.text =~' " + ls_week5 + "~' "
end choose
dw_file_viewer.Modify(ls_Modify)
ll_weekNum ++
Loop

 
You could manually parse out the date, to get the day/month/year string variables, and then make a simple user function to return the month number. Then use the Date( ) function like: Date( Long( ls_year ), Long( ls_month ), Long( ls_day ) )

uf_month_number( as_month )

Long ll_month

as_month = Upper( Left( as_month, 3 ) )

CHOOSE CASE as_month
CASE 'JAN', '1', '01'
ll_month = 1
CASE 'FEB', '2', '02'
ll_month
...
END CHOOSE

RETURN ll_month
 
Are you expecting the dates to be in 'mm/dd/yyyy' format when you are done? If so put that format in the 'string' function you use to convert the date values to strings. (ie, ls_week1 = String(id_week1, "mm/dd/yyyy")

Matt

"Nature forges everything on the anvil of time
 
Thank you for your responses. I believe I will have to use the solution that suggests parsing the string and creating the function to return the month. When I try ls_week1 = String(id_week1, "mm/dd/yyyy"), my input of 6-Jun-2009 displays as 01/01/1900.
 
01/01/1900 as a date generally indicates a null value. If you put a breakpoint in the code what are the various dates (strings)being set to?

Matt

"Nature forges everything on the anvil of time
 
The string variable contents are correct:
ls_week1 = "6-Jun-2009"
ls_week2 = "13-Jun-2009"
ls_week3 = "20-Jun-2009"
ls_week4 = "27-Jun-2009"
ls_week5 = "4-Jul-2009"

The problem occurs on the following lines:
id_week1 = Date(ls_week1)
id_week2 = Date(ls_week2)
id_week3 = Date(ls_week3)
id_week4 = Date(ls_week4)
id_week5 = Date(ls_week5)

The value of these variables are now:
id_week1 = 1-Jan-1900 ls_week1 = "6-Jun-2009"
id_week2 = 13-Jun-2020 ls_week2 = "13-Jun-2009"
id_week3 = 20-Jun-2020 ls_week3 = "20-Jun-2009"
id_week4 = 27-Jun-2020 ls_week4 = "27-Jun-2009"
id_week5 = 1-Jan-1900 ls_week5 = "4-Jul-2009"

This is the result whether I edit the registry at runtime or not.
 
Now my curiosity is sparked... Could you try adding a zero in front of the dates with only one integer for the day? To test it, use something like:

IF Len( ls_week1 ) = 10 THEN ls_week1 = '0' + ls_week1

Then try your Date( ) conversion...
 
Adding the leading zero to the string solved the "null" date problem.

However, all my years are still showing up as "2020."
After execution of the following:
id_week1 = Date(ls_week1)
id_week2 = Date(ls_week2)
id_week3 = Date(ls_week3)
id_week4 = Date(ls_week4)
id_week5 = Date(ls_week5)

The value of these variables are:
id_week1 = 6-Jun-2020 ls_week1 = "06-Jun-2009"
id_week2 = 13-Jun-2020 ls_week2 = "13-Jun-2009"
id_week3 = 20-Jun-2020 ls_week3 = "20-Jun-2009"
id_week4 = 27-Jun-2020 ls_week4 = "27-Jun-2009"
id_week5 = 4-Jul-2020 ls_week5 = "04-Jul-2009"

 
Looks as though it's expecting a 2-digit year, rather than the provided 4-digit, and it's only taking in the millennium/century, rather than the decade/year.
 
That's what I'm figuring too, but I don't know how to fix it.
 
What is the return value of your RegistrySet (ie, is it successful)?

Matt

"Nature forges everything on the anvil of time
 
My Registry Edit is successful. Before my application starts, the sShortDate setting is "M/d/yy". At runtime I verified the change to "dd-Mmm-yyyy" and then back to "M/d/yy" after processing the string/date conversions.

Something interesting to note:
When I change my input data to the format M/dd/yyyy, the dates appear correctly.

i.e. 6/6/2009, 6/13/2009, etc. will appear correctly formatted as 6/6/09, 6/13/09.

When I tested this, I did not change the calls to edit the Registry's sShortDate format. I am still changing it to "dd-Mmm-yyyy" at runtime, but it doesn't seem to matter what is in the Registry at that time.
 
I wonder if you changed the registry setting manually to 'dd-Mmm-yyyy' then ran the app what would happen?

Matt

"Nature forges everything on the anvil of time
 
I am pretty convinced PowerBuilder's built in Date(<string>) function just doesn't know how to handle the dd-Mmm-yyyy format. When I manually change my registry to dd-Mmm-yyyy, after the following line of code:
id_week1 = Date(ls_week1)

the variable contents are:
ls_week1 = "06-Jun-2009"
id_week1 = "06-Jun-2020"

I need to use this date as a comparison in some logic later in the program. I am at the point to accept that I have to write a function to handle these dates (as originally suggested by the kl0wn).
 
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