Strange problem sorting a dbf file

[Marco Turco]

Hi,
I have a really strange problem when I try to sort a dbf file using the command SORT ON .

In this self-contained sample
www.softwarexp.co.uk/beta/browse.zip
I create a new dbf (date ordered) form a source dbf but the order is incorrect (see www.softwarexp.co.uk/beta/browse.gif)

Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

[Otto]

Marco, I think you mixed up long and short date format.
Regards,
Otto

[Marco Turco]

Hi Otto,
the date values seem to be corrected.



Which dbf editor are you using ?

[Enrico Maria Giordano]

I confirm what Otto has found.

EMG

[Marco Turco]

Hi Enrico,
How did you check the dates ?

I checked them using the Norton Commander dbview and the Open Office "Calc" and all displayed well.

[Otto]

Marco, try your code with
SET CENTURY ON
Regards,
Otto

#include "FiveWin.ch"

function Main()
set century on
set date french

use testm

sort on lb02/a to results
use

USE results

Browse()

USE

return nil

[mmercado]

I confirm what Otto has found.

Hi Marco:

Certainly you have a mixture of date formats, try this to fix your database:

Use Test
Replace lb02 With CtoD( DtoC( lb02 ) ) All

Regards.

Manuel Mercado

[Enrico Maria Giordano]

Hi Enrico,
How did you check the dates ?

I checked them using the Norton Commander dbview and the Open Office "Calc" and all displayed well.

I'm using my own EMAG Software DBU:

http://www.emagsoftware.it/gratis.htm

EMG

[Marco Turco]

Yes, it was a date issue.

I was unable to detect it due the fact that my (very very old) Norton Commander dbView displayed those dates exactly.

Thanks to all for the support.

[E. Bartzokas]

Yes, it was a date issue.

I was unable to detect it due the fact that my (very very old) Norton Commander dbView displayed those dates exactly.

Thanks to all for the support.

Marco hi,
It's one of the best practices to use CENTURY ON, in other words, to
use the format dd/mm/yyyy, thus, you will avoid problems with some
centuries that don't exist any more (or are not usable), such as 0007
vice 2007 !
You can use in your main program at the entry point along with the
SET DATE .... (e.g. ITALIAN), SET EPOCH TO ...
here's an example of what I use...
SET DATE BRITISH
SET EPOCH TO 1980
SET CENTURY ON
When users are lazy and type only the two last digits of a year, e.g.
"31/12/07", the program automatically converts it to "31/12/2007"
and not into "31/12/0007".

Another problem fixed below, is for displaying date fields in the browser
(e.g. TWBROWSE, or XBROWSE), with this method...

Code: Select all  Expand view

        REDEFINE LISTBOX oLbx1 FIELDS ;
                     PADC(History->STATUS,3)  ,;    // STATUS "S" or blank
               Right(History->HISTNUMB,5) , ;       // Autom.number
               Right(History->FILENUMB,6) , ;       // File number
     SCTOC(DTOC(StoD(History->HISTDATE))) , ;       // Date (dd-mm-yy)
.....
                   HEADERS  "St."          ,;
                           "Hist"        ,;
                           "File"        ,;
                           "Off.Date"     ,;



The function SCTOC(...) converts the year into two digits thus, gaining
some width in the browser. Here's the function.

Code: Select all  Expand view

Function SCTOC(x)
*---------------- Returns a date (Char type) from 10 chars to 8 chars (Sort)
* SCTOC(DTOC(StoD(History->HISTDATE))),;         // Date (dd-mm-yy)
   Local z := ""

   if len(x) == 8
      Return (x)
   endif
   z := left(x, 6)  +;  // 18-01-2003
        right(x,2)
   Return (z)


Kind regards
Evans
ps. I hope it helps you a little...