http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=885275


in reply to Re^2: Why does localtime() return 1900-$YEAR?
in thread Why does localtime() return $YEAR-1900?

Perl was first released in 1987. The memory issue was much less important by that time and I am quite sure people were already aware of the bug 2000.

Though that's an interesting other question. When did people start to talk about "bug 2000"?

  • Comment on Re^3: Why does localtime() return 1900-$YEAR?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^4: Why does localtime() return 1900-$YEAR?
by ikegami (Patriarch) on Jan 31, 2011 at 16:15 UTC
    Dunno, but Perl has already addressed the y2038 bug. That's when the years would overflow even when subtracting 1900.
Re^4: Why does localtime() return 1900-$YEAR?
by Utilitarian (Vicar) on Feb 01, 2011 at 09:28 UTC
    Hmm, I worked on a COBOL system with 2 digit dates in the late 80's / early 90's and there was no pressure to modify the date structures. So I'm not sure people were as prescient as you assume.

    The first time I heard mention of the Y2K issue was '97 when a friend let it be known to a recruiter that I could work in COBOL >>>Shudder<<<

    print "Good ",qw(night morning afternoon evening)[(localtime)[2]/6]," fellow monks."
Re^4: Why does localtime() return 1900-$YEAR?
by apl (Monsignor) on Feb 01, 2011 at 11:11 UTC
    Perl was first released in 1987.
    Quite true, but the Unix time structure (which defined the year as an offset from 1900) has been a de facto standard since around 1975.