DATE probs with turn-of-the-century

Question

Any suggestions are appreciated. This is probably something hundreds of you have run across, but I am experiencing it now, for the first time, with two separate WinNT4 installs.
For background: http://technet.oracle.com/doc/server.804/a58225/ch3all.htm#1015154
The above hyperlink is the Oracle technet reference, which highlights the DATE function question to which I refer below.
In preparation for the SQL/PLSQL 8.0 exam, I am running into a DATE problem, which the RR vs YY formats in SQL8 text do not address. On two separate PCs both running WinNT4.0, the following different results are obtained.
Using the following Select statement with the Oracle free sample database:
SELECT TO_CHAR(ADD_MONTHS(HIREDATE,1),DD-MON-YYYY) NEXT MONTH
FROM EMP
WHERE ENAME = SMITH
Differring Results:
From my laptop:
Next month
17-Jan-2081
From my desktop:
Next month
17-Jan-1981
My issue is that all aritmetic calcs involving the DATE functions are coming up with errors by one PC looking at the 21st century vs both centuries. Any advice?
Thanks
Wayne
[email protected]
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Answer 1

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Evelyn:
You shouldn't be having a problem.
Check that hiredate for SMITH is in fact the same date on each machine (use format mask DD-MON-YYYY). I think you'll find that they're different.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Tks Evelyn. Yes you were right. The source of the prob the Oracle sample DB. The BuildSportsDB.sql script uses all table inserts in mask format DD-MON-YY. The revised Oracle sample DB script, entitled BuildSportsObjs.sql uses an input format for all dates DD-MON-YYYY. Each Hiredate had handles like 21-Jan-1981 in the corrected script.
Seems (however) that the server shuld have been able to handle the DD-Mon-YY . Thanks again for your response. ...W
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