X-no-Archive:yes
Not meaning to open a can of worms, but for COBOLers, if the fields is PIC
X, or contained as the only item in its group, effectively allowing
reference as PIC X, this allows for possible useful overloading of the field
with, say, spaces, for one such meaning. Consistently done and well
documented, it can work well. Done wrong, inconsistently, or poor values
chosen, it's the stuff that leads to pulling out one's hair, but
inconsistency and poor choices with the design of any data has that
potential. I certainly agree about good names, having a flair for the
obvious.

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Gambrell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 1999 3:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What dates to use for testing of Y2K compliance?
<snip>
Personally, I think "special meanings" should be handled as flags or
parameter values, not dates.  Makes reading the meaning a lot easier, too,
if
good names are used for the these fields and data values.
--
Richard Gambrell
Database Administrator and Consultant to Computing Services
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Dept. 4454
113 Hunter Hall, 615 McCallie Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598
UTC phone: 423-755-4551 fax: 423-755-4025
UTC e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Business or private email: [log in to unmask]