Re: Year 2000+ computer crash

[Phil Smith phil@xxxxxxxx]

>
> We've all heard about the problem: when the year 2000 starts, the calendar
> function in PC software won't be able to cope.
>
> Well, after a letter in the _Independent_ suggested that this inability-to-cope
> might be an urban legend, I tried it out. I changed the date in my PC from 1997
> to 2004, and created and saved a sample file. Then I did the same for four more
> decades. After reinstating the correct date, I told DOS to sort the directory
> in reverse date order; then I called up a directory, and got
> 	TEST2044       565   3-17->4
> 	TEST2034       565   3-17-=4
> 	TEST2024       565   3-17-<4
> 	TEST2014       568   3-17-;4
> 	TEST2004       565   3-17-:4
>
> To be sure, this isn't ideal: seven years from now won't be 20:4, it will be
> 2004. But the sort is correct, and the computer didn't think these test files
> were saved between 1904 and 1944. By the time 1999 draws to a close, I expect
> that even *I* will have abandoned DOS 6 and Windows 3.1; but if I haven't, it
> looks as if the world isn't coming to an end on the stroke of midnight.
>
> Regards to all,
> 						Eric Van Tassel
>
>
>

Yeah, but think of all those COBOL programs in business. I wonder if they
can be kludged so quickly and cleverly as you have done!

Phil Smith