How can I convert date in FOX (from DEC to date[DEC])

Question

Hi everyone!
In my planning layout I have a field called "MYDATE" of the date-type "DEC: Calculation or amount field with comma and +/- sign" (-> BPS does not allow using DATS as date-type).
Since I import that date from a different system, I have to use a temporary workaround field "WADATE" (WorkaroundDate) of type DEC (alternatively integer or float) which contains the date in a format YYYYMMDD (e.g. 20070604).
How can I transfer the date from WADATE to MYDATE? I tried using FOX, but for some reason it does not work. When I use the following function, MYDATE remains empty:
DATA TMPDATE TYPE F.
DATA MYPROJECTS TYPE B906_PROJ.
FOREACH MYPROJECTS.
"MYDATE" is the field I want my date in
"WADATE" is my workaround field that contains the date
TMPDATE = {WADATE,000,0000000001,0000000001,001}.
BREAK-POINT.
{MYDATE,000,0000000001,0000000001,001} = TMPDATE.
ENDFOR.
Is it possible to solve my problem with FOX? Or do I have to work with an EXIT function?
Best regards, Daniel

Answer 1

Daniel,
The better approach is the one Marc said but if you have tomake a work around work, I think you might need to try and define your temporary date variable as String and another for the converted date as of type of the final date.  I would not define any date type as float unless you can have part days and it is very important to have part days, integer might work by I would try String first myself.
It has been a while but on a BW 3.5 project I had to do some manipulation to read the attribute value of material master data to get the launch date and use it to derive the start period (definited as type 0FISCPER) and proportion of month based on number of days remaining after launch date vs the # of days for the month.  I think I used string type function in FOX to derive some of the component...
Hope this helps,
mary