Precedence Rules for End-User Formats

The precedence rules that define how to determine an end-user format for an internal DATE value are listed here:

• If a DBDATE format is specified, this format is used.
• If a GL_DATE format is specified, a locale must be determined:
  • If a CLIENT_LOCALE value is specified, it is used in conjunction with the GL_DATE format string to display DATE values.
  • If a DB_LOCALE value is specified but a CLIENT_LOCALE value is not, the DB_LOCALE value is compared with the database locale (read from the systables table of the user database) to verify that the DB_LOCALE value is valid. If the DB_LOCALE value is valid, it is used in conjunction with the GL_DATE format string to display DATE values. If the DB_LOCALE value is not valid, the database locale is used in conjunction with the GL_DATE format string.
  • If neither CLIENT_LOCALE nor DB_LOCALE values are specified, the database locale is used in conjunction with the GL_DATE format string to display DATE values.
• If a CLIENT_LOCALE value is specified, the DATE formats conform to the default formats associated with this locale.
• If a DB_LOCALE value is specified but no CLIENT_LOCALE value is specified, the DB_LOCALE value is compared with the database locale to verify that the DB_LOCALE value is valid.

  If the DB_LOCALE value is valid, the DB_LOCALE default formats are used. If the DB_LOCALE value is not valid, the default formats for dates associated with the database locale are used.

• If neither CLIENT_LOCALE nor DB_LOCALE values are specified, all DATE values are formatted in U.S. English format, Y4MD-.