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Summary and Comments

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Category: 

Personal_Computers

Date: 

1998-03-11 16:17:19

Subject: 

Spreadsheets and Other PC Development Tools

Comment: 

Karl Feilder has been to y2k and PC's what Peter de Jager is to y2k and mainframes. He warns people not to assume that any aspect of their personal computers is compliant.

A big problem is software, especially spreadsheets. Here is Feilder's recommendation.

* * * * * * * * *

1. If a development tool uses YY as it's normal mode of operation, and does not explain how to use the date window or what it is, in the User Guide, and the use of YYYY is the ABNORMAL mode of operation, I would state that this tool has some "Year 2000 Date Dependencies".

2. It is not "impossible" for a spreadsheet program to be "compliant". However, for it to conform to (for example) the BSI PD2001 standard, it would have to explicitly state how the date window works (for example in the User Guide, Help File, and every time you enter a YY date), or ONLY use YYYY in display entry and calculation. Why not see if your favorite spreadsheet tool does this ?

I have stated my view time and again. The search for PC software compliance is folly - we must understand the areas of risk of non-compliance and make informed decisions accordingly.


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