FreeTDS Development Group

[Bradley Bell <bradleyb AT u.washington.edu>]

On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 02:09:44AM -0500, James K. Lowden wrote:
> Hi Bradley, 
> 
> Bradley Bell wrote:
> > isql uses db-lib, so maybe this is a limitation of db-lib?
> 
> What you're seeing in isql is db-lib's default conversion, the result (I
> assume) of calling dbbind to make a string of a datetime field.  A
> db-lib application can call dbdatecrack() and construct any string it
> likes (or rely on server-side conversions, of course).  

Ah, I think I see now.  I think that php's mssql module does this.
Maybe I should try and make the sybase modules follow the same convention
(I'm using the sybase_ct, so I think I would need to use cs_dt_info().

[...]

> So far, the two people who'd like to have ANSI date formats by default
> want them all the time, for all hosts regardless of what library they're
> using.  I think a single global setting is bound to surprise some future
> webmasters sitting atop PHP scripts sooner or later.  I'm guessing that
> the right level of granularity is:
> 
> 1.    one setting in freetds.conf for each API set: db-lib, ct-lib, and
> ODBC.  
> 
> 2.    A faithful emulation of Sybase's choice would further suggest we
> follow their locale strategy for ct-lib (while allowing a freetds.conf
> override).  
> 
> It so happens I do have a half-completed module for datetime conversions
> on the bench, which I'll have to merge with the recently-completed bcp
> enhancements when the time comes.  But I have kids and Christmas and
> skiing on the near-term agenda, so please don't hope for anything before
> February, even assuming Brian likes the result.  
> 
> That's where I'm up to.  What do you think?

This sounds like a great idea to me.  I like the idea of setting my format in 
freetds.conf, instead of hacking each and every freetds-using app I want to
use.  It might not be what openclient does, but I think that's okay.

-brad

-- 
Bradley Bell
Computer Support Analyst
University of Washington
Classroom Support Services