


                      97 Articles on the Century Problem


                               Table of Contents

       List of Articles .............................................  1
       Solutions to the Century Problem .............................  8
       Program-Modification Cost ....................................  9


       The "Century Problem" is how to make programs that use two-digit
       years work with 21st-century dates.  At least 97 articles have
       been published on this problem.  Many of these have appeared in
       major newspapers, computer magazines and business journals.  In
       addition, there is a book on this topic called "The Year 2000
       Computing Crisis" by J.T. and M.J. Murray (McGraw-Hill, 1996,
       ISBN 0-07-912945-5.)


               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
         1  Computerworld        1/28/91  23(1)   "Dating problems?
                                                  Wait 'til the year
                                                  2000"

         2  Systems             11/01/91  31(1)   "Gear up your
            Integration                           databases for the
                                                  'dreaded' year 2000"

         3  The Wall Street      3/04/93  A1      "Computer clock
            Journal                               watchers anxiously
                                                  await the millennium"

         4  The Washington       6/21/93  WB19    "Once in a century"
            Post

         5  Computerworld        9/06/93  105(3)  "Doomsday 2000"

         6  Fortune             10/04/93  13(1)   "Millennial mess"

         7  Computerworld        7/11/94   1(2)   "Desktops veer toward
                                                  year 2000 crisis:
                                                  millennium madness"

         8  CA Magazine          8/01/94  32(3)   "2000 or bust"

         9  National            10/17/94   7(2)   "Year 2000 is
            Underwriter (Life                     problematic for
            & Health-                             systems"
            Financial)




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                Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        10  Computerworld       10/24/94  70(1)   "Year 2000 denial"

        11  PC Week             11/07/94  93(1)   "Clock is ticking to
                                                  fix code before 2000
                                                  time bomb"

        12  National            11/21/94   9(2)   "Year 2000 a big
            Underwriter                           problem for systems"
            (Property &
            Casualty-Risk)

        13  National            12/05/94  38(2)   "Year 2000 dilemma
            Underwriter (Life                     creating havoc with
            & Health-                             software"
            Financial)

        14  Journal of           1/04/95  1A(2)   "In year 2000,
            Commerce and                          computers will be
            Commercial                            oddly outdated"

        15  Puget Sound          4/07/95  21(1)   "The millennium is
            Business Journal                      coming; the end is
                                                  near..."

        16  Computerworld        4/10/95  73(1)   "Users slow to face
                                                  year 2000 conversion"

        17  InfoWorld            4/10/95  51(1)   "Companies brace for
                                                  millennium; date
                                                  change will wreak
                                                  havoc on some computer
                                                  systems"

        18  National             6/26/95   9(2)   "Solving year 2000
            Underwriter (Life                     problem long, costly
            & Health-                             project"
            Financial)

        19  Government Finance   8/01/95  32(2)   "The year 2000 date
            Review                                crisis"

        20  Managing Office      8/01/95  12(1)   "It's the problem of
            Technology                            the century"

        21  The Wall Street      8/25/95  B1(1)   "David Eddy pitches a
            Journal                               software savior to
                                                  century-challenged"





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               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        22  Industry Week       11/06/95  40(1)   "Time to plan the
                                                  century date change"

        23  Computerworld       11/20/95  97(3)   "If you start
                                                  now...you just might
                                                  make it"

        24  PC Week             11/20/95  39(2)   "IBM leads way in
                                                  preparations for year
                                                  2000"

        25  The Christian       11/21/95   3(1)   "Computers on blink
            Science Monitor                       over how to read the
                                                  year 2000"

        26  InfoWorld           11/27/95  46(1)   "Still no quick fix to
                                                  year-2000 glitch;
                                                  companies that act
                                                  quickly will party
                                                  like it's 1999"

        27  Journal of          12/04/95  7A(1)   "Year 2000 poses
            Commerce and                          technical challenge
            Commercial                            for world's insurance
                                                  data collectors."

        28  Computerworld       12/18/95   1(2)   "Controversy roils
                                                  over year 2000
                                                  conversion toll"

        29  Datamation           1/01/96  36(3)   "Start fixing Year
                                                  2000 problems now!"

        30  Datamation           1/01/96  42(3)   "Call in the cavalry
                                                  before 2000"

        31  Datamation           1/01/96  49(3)   "Tool up for 2000"

        32  Datamation           1/01/96  55(2)   "Keep the Millennium
                                                  Virus off your net"

        33  Datamation           1/01/96  76(1)   "Take a reporter to
                                                  lunch"

        34  Inc.                 2/01/96  108(1)  "Countdown to 2000"

        35  American City &      3/01/96  12(1)   "How to squash the
            County                                millennium bug"




                                       3




               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        36  Computerworld        3/11/96  10(1)   "Timing is right for
                                                  Cobol programmers"

        37  Computerworld        3/25/96  36(1)   "Chicken Little redux"

        38  Computerworld        3/25/96  83(2)   "Face up to it"

        39  PC Week              4/01/96  E3(1)   "Capacity planning"

        40  The Los Angeles      4/01/96  D1(3)   "Come Jan. 1, 2000,
            Times                                 what will your
                                                  computer do?"

        41  Computerworld        4/22/96   1(2)   "Feds face year 2000
                                                  crisis"

        42  Barron's             4/29/96  16(2)   "Hot date; why some
                                                  computer-service firms
                                                  are in love with the
                                                  year 2000"

        43  Computerworld        5/06/96  1(2)    "Small vendors pressed
                                                  for year 2000 remedy"

        44  PC Week              5/06/96  E3(1)   "Doom 2000 D.C."

        45  PC Week              5/13/96  E1(2)   "The big date"

        46  Datamation           5/15/96  102(1)  "Lock up your year
                                                  2000 staff"

        47  Travel Weekly        5/16/96   1(2)   "How time flies!
                                                  Computer glitch could
                                                  foul up CRSs [computer
                                                  reservation systems]
                                                  by year 2000"

        48  The Wall Street      5/21/96  A1(1)   "Once in a millennium"
            Journal

        49  Dr. Dobbs Journal    6/01/96  6(1)    "Tick, tick, tick"

        50  The Public           6/01/96  51(4)   "Year 2000 problems
            Manager: The New                      and the federal
            Bureaucrat                            government"

        51  The New York Times   6/02/96  19(1)   "Oh-oh"
            Magazine




                                       4




               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        52  InfoWorld            6/03/96  69(2)   "Surviving the year
                                                  2000"

        53  National             6/03/96   3(3)   "Year 2000 crisis
            Underwriter                           looms for insurers"
            Property &
            Casualty-Risk ...

        54  PC Week              6/24/96  E16(1)  "Countdown to Year
                                                  2000"

        55  Business Credit      7/01/96  46(1)   "Y2K: are you ready?"

        56  Canadian Banker      7/01/96  24(4)   "Glitch of the
                                                  century"

        57  Journal of Systems   7/01/96   6(8)   "A problem of rational
            Management                            origin that requires a
                                                  rational solution"

        58  Kiplinger's          7/01/96  12(1)   "1999 plus 1: A
            Personal Finance                      cyberspace odyssey"
            Magazine

        59  The Wall Street      7/05/96  B1(1)   "Abe Lichtig answers
            Journal                               alarm at Con Ed for
                                                  year 2000 crisis"

        60  American Banker      7/19/96  17(1)   "B of A sets recoding,
                                                  but others risk
                                                  crashing in 2000"

        61  PC Week              7/22/96  E5(1)   "Preparation counts"

        62  The Wall Street      7/25/96  C1(1)   "The year 2000 and the
            Journal                               CEO's big secret"

        63  The Wall Street      7/26/96  B1(1)   "Businesses make a
            Journal                               date to battle year
                                                  2000 problem"

        64  Forbes               7/29/96  35(1)   "All for 'naughts'"

        65  Datamation           8/01/96  102(3)  "Take a year 2000
                                                  inventory"

        66  Government Finance   8/01/96  34(2)   "The year 2000:
            Review                                defining the
                                                  government solution"



                                       5




               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        67  Stores               8/01/96  66(2)   "Retailers brace for
                                                  looming 'Millennium
                                                  Problem'"

        68  Transportation &     8/01/96  110(1)  "Will we really go
            Distribution                          BOOM when civilization
                                                  hits the big 2000?"

        69  The Economist        8/03/96  53(2)   "Oh what a lovely
                                                  millennium bug"

        70  Computerworld        8/05/96  15(1)   "Feds garner failing
                                                  grades for year 2000"

        71  Pensions &           8/05/96   3(2)   "Software glitch could
            Investments                           be million-dollar
                                                  pain: year 2000
                                                  problem creates
                                                  expensive race against
                                                  time"

        72  Pensions &           8/05/96  14(1)   "Investors and year
            Investments                           2000"

        73  Business Week        8/12/96  72(2)   "Panic in the year
                                                  zero zero"

        74  Computerworld        8/12/96   1(2)   "Year 2000 woes may
                                                  blindside desktop
                                                  apps"

        75  Computerworld        8/12/96  14(1)   "Facing 2000 alone:
                                                  overtaxed consultants
                                                  get choosy; Cobol
                                                  win big bucks"

        76  Fortune              8/19/96  50(7)   "The story of '00"

        77  Chemical Week        8/21/96  33(2)   "2000: the Millennium
                                                  Bomb: a costly
                                                  problem"

        78  Computerworld        8/26/96  69(2)   "Legal eagles look at
                                                  year 2000"

        79  The Wall Street      8/29/96  A1(1)   "As 2000 nears"
            Journal





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               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        80  Best's Review        9/01/96  38(5)   "Year 2000 doomsayers
                                                  finally get insurers'
                                                  attention"

        81  Datamation           9/01/96  109(2)  "How big is your year
                                                  2000 mess?"

        82  World Press Review   9/01/96  37(1)   "Countdown to chaos"

        83  Industry Week        9/02/96  36(3)   "Tick tock 2000"

        84  Industry Week        9/02/96  58(1)   "Millennium meltdown"

        85  PC Week              9/09/96  28(1)   "Playing the Year 2000
                                                  numbers game"

        86  The Washington       9/09/96  WB26    "Only three years left
            Post                                  before 2000; will
                                                  anyone be ready?"

        87  Congressional        9/14/96  2595    "Looming computer
            Quarterly Weekly                      problem worries
            Report                                Congress, experts"

        88  Computerworld        9/16/96   1(2)   "New rule tightens
                                                  year 2000 noose"

        89  National             9/16/96   2(2)   "Insurance techs
            Underwriter (Life                     scramble to catch
            & Health-                             'millennium bug'"
            Financial)

        90  The Wall Street      9/18/96  B1(2)   "Even some new
            Journal                               software won't work in
                                                  2000"

        91  PC Week              9/23/96  E11(1)  "Year 2000 crisis:
                                                  another solution"

        92  The Washington      10/03/96  A28(1)  "Computer calendar
            Post                                  crisis"

        93  American Banker     10/08/96  18(1)   "Uh-oh: few banks are
                                                  addressing the '00'
                                                  problem"

        94  The Los Angeles     10/15/96  A1(2)   "IRS computer system
            Times                                 threatens chaos in
                                                  2000"



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               Publication        Date    Pages           Title
            ------------------  --------  ------  ----------------------
        95  The Wall Street     10/29/96  A1(1)   "Experts in old
            Journal                               computer languages are
                                                  suddenly in hot
                                                  demand"

        96  The Wall Street     12/09/96  B1(2)   "Why prepping
            Journal                               mainframes for 2000 is
                                                  so tough"

        97  PC/Computing         1/01/97  50(2)   "Countdown to crisis"


                       Solutions to the Century Problem


       Solving the Century Problem for a given program starts with
       deciding to represent years either with two digits or with four
       digits.  Given a choice, it is better to use four digits.
       However, some databases store years using two digits in order to
       save disk space.  These databases do NOT need to be changed.
       Instead, programs that use information from such databases can be
       modified as described below.

            A necessary ingredient is a two-digit to four-digit smooth
       year-resolution routine.  Unlike adding 1900 to two-digit years,
       this routine must be smooth or linear over a reasonable range of
       years around the current year.  A program (YearIn.ZIP)
       demonstrating one such routine is posted in CompuServe's PCPROG
       and YEAR2000 forums.  It is also available on the Web.  To find
       it there, start from the address at the end of this article.

            For a program that stores years using two digits: a) find
       all year-calculation points (including output); b) apply either
       the year-difference logic below or the year-resolution routine to
       each year before displaying years or other calculations.  Be sure
       to check if complicated calculations require 20th-century two-
       digit years.  If these calculations can handle three digits, use

                           resolve_year (y) - 1900.

       Otherwise, they will need to be rewritten.

            For a year difference in which y1 is before y2, instead of
       y2 - y1, use

                 age = resolve_year (y2) - resolve_year (y1).

       Then if age is negative, add 100 to it.  Using optional
       parameters to this routine, it is possible to skip this test and



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       generate the full years corresponding to y1 and y2.  In addition,
       when you specify that there will be a suitable minimum separation
       between years, 90 and 95 will convert into 1890 and 1995.  Thus,
       large databases used for age calculations do NOT need to be
       modified.

            For a program that stores years using four digits: a) find
       all year-input points; b) apply the year-resolution routine to
       each such input.  Included in YearIn is a demonstration of a
       Windows edit box that automatically converts two-digit years to
       four-digit years when you move away from it.

            The $10 to $5000 C/C++/Fortran/COBOL year-resolution routine
       demonstrated by YearIn can accept one-, two-, three- or four-
       digit years.  So, your program will not be required to work only
       with years in the 20th or 21st century.  In addition, this
       routine is designed to handle the change from the 21st to the
       22nd century and subsequent changes until years require five
       digits.


                           Program-Modification Cost


       Some experts feel that the cost of modifying programs to be deal
       with the Century Problem can be measured in terms of the number
       of lines in a program.  Instead, notice that year data do not
       appear randomly throughout a program.  They can only enter at
       fixed points (user input, data files, etc.) and then flow from
       these lines to other lines.  A programmer can trace year-data
       flow to a subset of program lines and then needs to check or
       modify only those lines.  (The only complication is that some
       languages allow aliases that are hard to detect.  For example,
       variables can be renamed when Fortran common blocks are included
       into other routines.)  As a result, a million-line program may
       need no more effort to fix than a thousand-line program.

            Article 96 ("Why prepping mainframes for 2000 is so tough")
       shows that search tools to find year-data variables are
       practically useless.  Instead, the process of finding these
       variables must be done manually.  Then, a repair procedure such
       as those described above can be applied to make a program year-
       2000 compliant.


       David Wincelberg
       FileJockey Software
       289 S. Robertson Blvd., Suite 373
       Beverly Hills, CA 90211
       FileJockey@compuserve.com
       http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/FileJockey/



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