Date (L), Time (T), and Timestamp (Z)

Both types of keyboards are in lowershift. All characters are valid for entry.

The field length (DDS positions 30 and 34) for these data types are always blank. The following rules determine the field length:
  • For the date (L) data type, the format specified on the DATFMT keyword dictates the length of the field. If you do not specify the DATFMT keyword, then the format is set to *ISO as default, which has a field length of 10. If you specify DATFMT(*JOB), the field length will always be 10, even if the Job Date Format Definition Attribute displays an 8 character date.
  • For the time (T) data type, the format specified on the TIMFMT keyword dictates the length of the field. All formats for the TIMFMT keyword, including the default of *ISO, have field lengths of 8.
  • For the timestamp (Z) data type, the field length is 26. The format of a timestamp field is 
    yyyy-mm-dd-hh.mm.ss.mmmmmm
    Where yyyy = year, mm = month, dd = day, hh = hour, mm = minute, ss = second, and mmmmmm = microsecond.

Decimal positions (DDS positions 36 and 37) support only values of period (.). Valid field usage (DDS position 38) can be O, B, or I.

It is the responsibility of the high-level language and the application to format the date, time, and timestamp fields correctly on output. The system does not format fields on output. Date and time fields should be formatted according DATFMT and TIMFMT keywords formats and use the separators specified for the DATSEP and TIMSEP keywords. You should use the standard timestamp format (yyy-mm-dd-hh.mm.ss.mmmmmm) for timestamp fields.

The system validates date-, time-, and timestamp-capable fields on input when the modified data tag (MDT) for a field is set to the on position. You can turn on the MDT for a field by either typing into the field or by specifying DSPATR(MDT) on the field. If the MDT for a field is turned off, the saved contents of the field return to the application. When the MDT is on for a field, date and time fields are evaluated according to the following items:

Timestamp fields are evaluated according to the standard timestamp format (yyyy-mm-dd-hh.mm.ss.mmmmmm).

You can enter date, time, and timestamp field values with or without separators. When you enter a value without separators, leading zeros are inserted when necessary. The system includes the separators in the data that are passed back to the application. When you enter a value with separators, leading zeros are inserted up to the first separator when necessary. A value that is entered with separators cannot start with a separator. Leading and trailing blanks are ignored.

You can enter timestamp field values with or without separators. The system inserts leading or trailing zeros for timestamp fields. If you enter the field with separators, you must enter 20 digits and 6 separator characters.

You can enter the following field level keywords with these data types:

ALIAS ERRMSGID
CHANGE FLDCSRPRG
CHGINPDFT INDTXT
CHRID MAPVAL
COLOR NOCCSID
DATFMT (L) OVRATR
DATSEP (L) OVRDTA
DFT PUTRETAIN
DFTVAL REFFLD
DLTEDT SFLCSRPRG
DLTCHK TEXT
DSPATR TIMFMT (T)
ENTFLDATR TIMSEP (T)
ERRMSG  
Figure 1. Data type and keyboard shift coding
|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
00100A*
00200A* KEYBOARD SHIFT ATTRIBUTES
00300A            CHARA          5   I  2  2
00400A            CHARB          5   I  3  2CHECK(RB)
00500A            CHARC          5   I  4  2CHECK(RZ)
00600A            CHARD          5X  I  4 30
00700A            CHARE          5M  I  4 40
00800A            CHARF          5D  I  4 50
00900A            SIGN1          5  OI  5  2
01000A            SIGN2          5  2B  5 30
01100A            NBR1           5Y OI  6  2
01200A            NBR2           5Y 2I  6 15
01300A            NBR3           5Y 2B  6 30EDTCDE(L)
01400A            NBR4           5N 2I  6 40
01500A            NBRZ           5   H
01600A            FLPT           7F 4I  7  2
01700A            DATE            L  B  7 30DATFMT(*JUL) DATSEP('/')
01750A            DATE1           L  B  7 40DATFMT(*MDY) DATSEP('/')
01800A            TIME            T  B  8  2
01900A            TSTMP           Z  I  7 30
     A
Three special characters are used in Table 1.
  • _ means that you did not type in any character.
  • X indicates a blank.
  • } is represented internally as hex D0.

Except where indicated, you enter the data only by pressing a command function key. The fourth entry under SIGN1 is an exception. You make that entry by pressing the Field Exit key.

The following table refers to fields defined in Figure 1.

Table 1. Example data type and keyboard shift coding instructions
Field name (keyboard shift) As typed in by the workstation user As passed to your program
CHARA (Alphanumeric shift)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. A B C _ _
  3. A _ C _ _
  4. _ _ _ D E
  • x x x x x (X'40')
  • A B C x x
  • A x C x x
  • x x x D E
CHARB (Alphanumeric shift)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. A B C _ _
  3. A _ C _ _
  4. _ _ _ D E
  • x x x x x
  • x x A B C
  • x x A x C
  • x x x D E
CHARC (Alphanumeric shift)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. A B C _ _
  3. A _ C _ _
  4. _ _ _ D E
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 0 A B C
  • 0 0 A x C
  • 0 0 0 D E
CHARD (Alphabetic only)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. A B C _ _
  3. 4 _ _ _ _
  4. A B C. $ _
  • x x x x x
  • A B C x x
  • error message
  • error message
CHARE (Numeric only character)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. 516.7
  3. 5, 2 _ _
  4. A _ _ _ _
  • x x x x x
  • 516.7
  • 5, 2 x x
  • error message
CHARF (Digits only)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. 2 3 _ 5 _
  3. 1 2 _ _ _
  4. A _ _ _ _
  • x x x x x
  • 2 3 x 5 x
  • 1 2 x x x
  • error message
SIGN1 (Signed numeric)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 1 2 3 _ _ _
  3. 1 _ 3 _ _ _
  4. _ _ _ 4 5 _ (Field Exit key)
  5. _ _ _ 4 5 (Field + key)
  6. _ _ _ 4 5 _ (Field - key)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 _
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 0 1 2 3
  • 0 0 1 0 3
  • 0 0 0 4 5
  • 0 0 0 4 5
  • 0 0 0 4 N(X'F0F0F0F4D5')
  • 1 2 3 4 5
SIGN2 (Signed numeric)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 1 2 3 4 _ _
  3. 1 2 _ _ _ _
  4. 1 2 _ _ _ _ (Field - key)
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 1 2 3 4
  • 0 0 0 1 2
  • 0 0 0 1 K (X'F0F0F0F1D2')
NBR1 (Numeric only)
  1. _ _ _ _ _
  2. 0 0 0 0 5
  3. 0 0 0 5 _
  4. 0 0 2 _ _
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 0 0 0 5
  • 0 0 0 0 5
  • 0 0 0 0 2
NBR2 (Numeric only)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 0 0 0 0 5 _
  3. 0 0 5 _ _ _
  4. 5 _ _ _ _ _
  5. 0 5 0 0 _ _
  6. 5 x 5 _ _
  7. 5 x x _ _ _
  8. 5 5 . 1 _ _
  9. 5 0 0 0 0 . _
  10. 5 0. 0 0 0
  11. 5 5 – _ _ _
  12. 5 _ – – _ _
  13. 5 _ + _ – _
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 5 0 0 0 0
  • 5 0 5 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 0 5 5 1 0
  • error message (use of decimal
  • error message not valid)
  • 0 5 5 0 }
  • 0 0 5 0 }
  • 0 0 5 0 }
NBR3 (Numeric only) Input processing is the same as for NBR2.  
NBR4 (Numeric shift)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 5 – _ _ _ _
  3. _ 5 _ – _ _
  4. 5 _ + _ _ _
  5. 5 _ A B C _
  6. 5 _ K K _ _
  7. 5 _ K A K _
  8. 5 _ K K A _
  9. 1 0 E + 0 3
  • 0 0 0 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 }
  • 0 0 5 0 }
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 0 0 5 0 0
  • 5 0 2 0 } See note.
  • 5 0 2 0 } See note.
  • 0 0 5 0 0 See note.
  • 1 0 0 3
NBRZ (Hidden field) This is a hidden field and does not appear on the display.  
FLPT (Floating point)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. – 9 9 . 2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  3. – 9 9 E 0 2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  4. + 9 9 9 . 9 9 9 9 E + 0 0 3
  5. A B C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  6. _ _9 9 0 _ e _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  • + 0
  • – 9 9 . 2
  • – 9 9 0 0 .
  • + 9 9 9 9 9 9 . 9
  • error message
  • error message
DATE (Date)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 0 0 0 0 1 _
  3. _ _ 1 _ _ _
  4. 0 0 / 0 0 1
  5. _ 0 / 0 0 1
  6. / 0 0 1 _ _
  7. 0 0 — 0 0 1
  8. A _ _ _ _ _
  • 4 0 / 0 0 1
  • 0 0 / 0 0 1
  • 0 0 / 0 0 1
  • 0 0 / 0 0 1
  • 0 0 / 0 0 1
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
DATE1 (Date)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 0 6 0 2 9 7 _ _
  3. 6 0 2 9 7 _ _ _
  4. 0 6 / 0 2 / 9 7
  5. _ 6 / 2 / 9 7 _
  6. 0 6 — 0 2 — 9 7
  7. 6 / 9 7 _ _ _ _
  8. 6 / / 9 7 _ _ _
  9. 1 3 / 2 / 9 7 _
  10. 6 / 3 1 / 9 7 _
  11. A / 2 / 9 7 _ _
  • 0 1 / 0 1 / 4 0
  • 0 6 / 0 2 / 9 7
  • 0 6 / 0 2 / 9 7
  • 0 6 / 0 2 / 9 7
  • 0 6 / 0 2 / 9 7
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
TIME (Time)
  1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 _ _
  3. _ _ 1 2 3 4 5 6
  4. 1 2 _ _ _ _ _ _
  5. 1 2 3 4 _ _ _ _
  6. 1 2 . 3 4 . 5 6
  7. 1 . 2 . 3 _ _ _
  8. 0 1 : 0 0 : 0 0
  9. 1 2 3 _ _ _ _ _
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 _ _ _
  11. 1 . 0 0 0 0 _ _
  • 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0
  • 1 2 . 3 4 . 5 6
  • 1 2 . 3 4 . 5 6
  • 1 2 . 0 0 . 0 0
  • 1 2 . 3 4 . 0 0
  • 1 2 . 3 4 . 5 6
  • 0 1 . 0 2 . 0 3
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
  • error message
TSTMP (Timestamp)
  1. 2000–01–01–01.00.00.000000
  2. 20000101010000000000______
  3. 2000/01/01/01.00.00.000000
  4. 0000–00–00–00.00.00.000000
  • 2000–01–01–01.00.00.000000
  • 2000–01–01–01.00.00.000000
  • error message
  • error message
Note: The internal representation of K is hex D2. All nonnumeric characters (including those with hex D in the zone portion) are deleted with no place value. For example, 5_KAK_ becomes 5020}.
Parent topic: Valid entries for display files