Query/400 Handles Zero Dates (Sort Of)
Hey, Ted:

I have a file that has two dates that are stored in eight-digit numeric fields in YYYYMMDD format. Using Query/400, I wish to find the difference in days between the two dates. However, one of the date fields may contain values of zero. When I view the resulting data from the query on my display, Query/400 fills the difference field with plus signs if a date is zero. But when I direct the query's output to a disk file, the query ends abnormally. Is there a way to replace the zero date with some other value, such as the current date, the other date field, or a date far into the future? READ MORE >

No Automatic Casting for Char
by Howard Arner

Recently, I did a Web services project to integrate a legacy iSeries system with a new GUI and a new Web-based interface. When programming the system, I needed to write a stored procedure to take incoming data and store it in the both the legacy program's data tables and our "new" database. This new database was still on the iSeries, and was just new in the sense that it has more and varied fields and capabilities that the previous system. I found an interesting iSeries feature and would like to take the opportunity to present the potential problem with it and give you a work around. READ MORE >