Product documentation
Abstract
Notes R5 and Notes 6/7 use a more robust date interpretation methodology than Notes R4, and even allow date input using one parameter. The following describes how dates are interpreted when using one-parameter or two-parameter input.
Content
Lotus Notes® client R5 and 6.x/7.x use a more robust date interpretation methodology than Notes R4, and even allow date input using one parameter. The following describes how dates are interpreted when using one-parameter or two-parameter input.
Note: The behavior described below is based on using Notes 5.0.2a Client / Domino 5.0.2a Designer, and above (including both the 5.x and 6.x codestreams).
One Parameter Input
Given AA as the input - where XX is the number of days in the current month:
If AA = 1->12 the result is: AA/<current day>/<current year>
If 12 < AA <= XX the result is: <current month>/AA/<current year>*
If XX < AA < 32 in the User Interface the result is the error, "Unable to interpret Time or Date". In LotusScript the result is: 12:00 AM
If AA > 31 the result is: <current month>/01/20AA
If AA = 0 the result is: <current month>/01/2000
Two Parameter Input
Given AA/BB as the input, and XX is the number of days in the current month:
If AA = 1->12 and
If BB = 1->31 then result is: AA/BB/<current year>*
If BB > 31 then result is: AA/01/20BB
If 12 < AA < XX and
If BB = 1->12 then result is BB/AA/<current year>*
If BB > 12 then result is <current month>/AA/20BB
If AA > XX and
If BB = 1->12 then result is: BB/01/20AA
If BB > 12 in the User Interface the result is the error, "Unable to interpret Time or Date". In LotusScript the result is: 12:00 AM
If AA = 00 and
If BB = 1->12 then result is: BB/01/20AA
If 12 < BB <= XX then result is: <current month>/BB/20AA
If BB > XX in the User Interface the result is the error, "Unable to interpret Time or Date". In LotusScript the result is: 12:00 AM
* In the case of the date 2/29, the year parameter will not interpret as the current year if the current year is not a leap year. The year parameter will evaluate to the next year which is a leap year. For example: Prior to 2000, an input of 2/29 evaluated to 2/29/2000. With Notes releases 5.0 through 5.0.2, during the year 2000 an input of 2/29 returns the error: "Unable to interpret Time or Date".
A number of date interpretation improvements were made in Notes release 5.0.2a and 5.0.3 (and carry through the R5.x and 6.x releases).
Excerpt from the Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino Release 5.0.3 QMR fix list:
Client
NOTE: Starting in 5.0.2a (and carrying through all 5.x and 6.x releases above) an additional Notes.ini parameter called StrictDateTimeInput (mentioned in the fix list excerpt above) was introduced, which allows the ability to disable the date interpretation methodology Notes R5 and Notes 6 use. Setting this parameter to 1 disables this date interpretation methodology for the User Interface only - the parameter does not affect back-end interpretation such as LotusScript.
For example: StrictDateTimeInput=1
Additional Information:
Notes is designed to interpret two digit year input from 00 - 49 as 20xx, and from 50 - 99 as 19xx.
If the date input evaluates to a day which is not valid for the month then the result will be the error, "Unable to interpret Time or Date". This error is raised only when a day value is 29 or 30 and is dependent on the number of days the month contains.
The above examples are described with a system date setting of MM/DD/YY. The information is still relative when using other date settings, but you must interpret the results relative to the date setting used.
Date input interpretation is quite robust in Notes Release 5.x. If you type in a date using in an unexpected order, given the operating systems defaults, Notes can still interpret the date.
Given a system default date style of MM/DD/YY, if you enter a date in the format of YY/MM/DD or YY/DD/MM, the date is correctly interpreted as a date MM/DD/YY. In cases where the second and third parameters are both valid Day and Month values, then the interpretation is YY/MM/DD. For example:
Entering 99/1/12 and selecting F9 results in 1/12/99.
Entering 99/13/12 and selecting F9 results in 12/13/99.
The added date interpretation functionality of Notes R5 is not limited to simply interpreting YY/MM/DD and YY/DD/MM. The ability to interpret date input parameters covers all permutations possible: MM/YY/DD, DD/YY/MM, DD/MM/YY.
See the related document below for additional information on how Notes 5.x interprets dates when only one or two parameters are used for input.
NOTE: In Notes 5.02a, an additional Notes.INI parameter was introduced to allow you to disable the date interpretation methodology used in R5. The INI parameter is StrictDateTimeInput. Setting it to 1 disables the R5 date interpretation methodology.
For example:
StrictDateTimeInput=1
This setting can also be enabled via the User Preferences: File > Preferences > User Preferences > (Additional Options) Strict Date/Time Input.
Related information
Data Type Errors Result from Different Functionality of
Three Parameter Date Input is Not Interpreted as the Ex
Dim Datetime as New NotesDateTime ("0") no Longer Funct
| Segment | Product | Component | Platform | Version | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messaging Applications | Lotus Domino | Lotus Domino Designer | Platform Independent | 6.x, 5.x |
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