Date:         Thu, 19 Jun 2003 16:02:00 -0500
Reply-To:     "Deshon, Joe A [PCS]" <jdesho01@SPRINTSPECTRUM.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Deshon, Joe A [PCS]" <jdesho01@SPRINTSPECTRUM.COM>
Subject:      Help me explain dates and times
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I am having a hard time explaining SAS dates and times to a junior level
programmer who is an associate of mine.  I need some help.

I don't know how many times I have explained the significance of the
number of seconds since midnight and the number of days since January 1,
1960.  I have explained the difference between a date as an integer and
the representation of that date as a character field.  Nothing is
sinking in.

Recently, this person sorted a file on a character field that had been
converted from a date field and complained because it sorted "19JUN2002"
before "25DEC2001".

Of course, explaining the datepart and timepart functions to extract
dates and times from date/time stamps is a completely lost cause.

Are there any suggestions in the vast world of SAS consultancy out there
that can help me explain these concepts in a way that can be understood?

Joe DeShon
Manager, Advanced Applications Development
PCS Marketing & Sales Analysis Group
Sprint PCS
6130 Sprint Parkway
Mailstop: KSOPHJ0114-1A504
Overland Park  KS  66251
Work: (913) 762-6172
PCS: (816) 210-0950
Fax: (913) 762-0804
email: jdesho01@sprintspectrum.com