SQL: converting from 8,0 to a date

[rob@xxxxxxxxx]

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Had someone here ask me how to convert a date stored in a number (@#$%ing
BPCS) as 8,0 YYYYMMDD, within a SQL statement.  Feeling a little pinched
for time I threw in:
SELECT SCH06, DATE(SUBSTR(DIGITS(SCH06),5,2) || '/' ||
                   SUBSTR(DIGITS(SCH06),7,2) || '/' ||
                   SUBSTR(DIGITS(SCH06),1,4))
FROM EDIMFGCD/PP850D04

While functional, I looked for something better.  CAST doesn't work for
numbers to date.  I thought of creating a UDF based on our internal
dateedit program.

Then I whipped up the following instead:
CREATE FUNCTION NbrToDate
 (Nbr Decimal (8,0))
 Returns Date
 Language SQL
 Returns Null On Null Input
Begin
 Declare WorkDate Char (10);
 Declare ParmDate Date;
 Set WorkDate = substr(Digits(Nbr),5,2) || '/' ||
                substr(Digits(Nbr),7,2) || '/' ||
                substr(Digits(Nbr),1,4);
 Set ParmDate = Date(WorkDate);
 Return ParmDate;
End -- NbrToDate

Now I can do this:
SELECT SCH06, NbrToDate(sch06)
FROM EDIMFGCD/PP850D04

The person had the other method in use already.  Also, they felt that
using the function might cause problems if ERP, and accounting both
started using it and then one or the other wanted to change the function.
Then you would have to figure out an impact of change.  They felt that
having to modify all code containing the conversion manually would be
better.

Can anyone think of a better way to convert the date?

Rob Berendt
--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin