[78-L] 78 database

[Jeff Lichtman]

>The problem is that database programs can/will ONLY accept possible
>dates in their date-type fields! This makes it impossible to enter dates
>which are incomplete or partially unknown.

One solution is to store the date as three separate numeric fields 
(year, month and day) and to store nulls where the values are 
unknown. For example, for April 13, 1927 one would store 4, 13 and 
1927; for April 1927 one would store 4, NULL and 1927, and for 1927 
(without a month or date) one would store NULL, NULL, 1927.


                        -        Jeff Lichtman
                                 jeff at swazoo.com
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