INFORMIX-ESQL/C Programmer's Manual ESQL/C Function Library

The rstrdate() function converts a character string to an internal DATE.

mint rstrdate(inbuf, jdate)

	char *inbuf;

	int4 *jdate;

 



inbuf

is a pointer to the string that contains the date to convert. 


jdate  

is a pointer to an int4 integer that receives the internal DATE value for the inbuf string. 

For the default locale, U.S. English, the rstrdate() function determines how to format the character string with the following precedence:

1. The format that the DBDATE environment variable specifies (if DBDATE is set). For more information on DBDATE, refer to the Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.
2. The format that the GL_DATE environment variable specifies (if GL_DATE is set). For more information on GL_DATE, refer to the Informix Guide to GLS Functionality.
3. The default date form: mm/dd/yyyy. You can use any nonnumeric character as a separator between the month, day, and year. You can express the year as four digits (1995) or as two digits (95).

When you use a nondefault locale and do not set the DBDATE or GL_DATE environment variable, rstrdate() uses the date end-user format that the client locale defines. For more information, see the Informix Guide to GLS Functionality.

When you use a two-digit year in the date string, the rstrdate() function uses the value of the DBCENTURY environment variable to determine which century to use. If you do not set DBCENTURY, rstrdate() assumes the 20th century for two-digit years. For information on how to set DBCENTURY, see the Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.

The demo directory contains this sample program in the rstrdate.ec file.

/*
* rstrdate.ec *
The following program converts a character string
in "mmddyyyy" format to an internal date format.
*/

#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
int4 i_date;
mint errnum;
char str_date[15];

printf("RSTRDATE Sample ESQL Program running.\n\n");

/* Convert Sept. 6th, 1998 into i_date */
if ((errnum = rstrdate("9.6.1998", &i_date)) == 0)
{

rfmtdate(i_date, "mmm dd yyyy", str_date);
printf("Date '%s' converted to internal format\n" str_date);
}
else
printf("rstrdate() call failed with error %d\n", errnum);

printf("\nRSTRDATE Sample Program over.\n\n");
}

RSTRDATE Sample ESQL Program running.



Date 'Sep 06 1998' converted to internal format



RSTRDATE Sample Program over.