I step into these waters carefully, as I know that it's a serious issue for many here. As for the whole debate about DateFormat vs LSDateformat, etc., it really is just a remnant of history. I wouldn't say it's "there for backward compatibility" but rather it was there first. The LS functions were added back in CF4, if I recall correctly (or maybe 3.1), and of course by then thousands if not millions of lines of code would have been written using the older DateFormat. Also, since this was before the move to CFMX (and the standardization on Java locale processing), there may well have been issues that kept some from even moving to the LS functions if they wanted to.
Then there's the point made about whether Americans (and software makers) pay enough attention to I18N. Surely we don't, and it's embarrassing, but this is similar to Owen's complaint: why don't we Americans just get with the program on using the dateformat used by many others. As above, I don't know who was first, but we could also debate driving on the left vs right, race tracks going clock-wise versus counter-, and using the metric system. :-) Honestly, having lived in both countries, I wouldn't argue against the latter (nor against the date formatting change). I was a child in school in the 70's when metric conversion was attempted. We kids were all for it. It was the older folks who fought it. Changes like that are really tough to make, what with folks clinging to old ways, fearing change, etc. I honestly see it the same with DateFormat. Could they deprecate it? Sure? Should they? Why not. Will they ever obsolete it (make it no longer work)? That will take some backbone, considering the millions of lines of code that would likely use it. I doubt it would happen. Just too painful. I'm just one voice, and not even an informed one on this subject. This is clearly something (internationalization) that affects some far more than others (and I might add, sadly for some, more than most.) That's probably the root of the problem: typical American ignoring of international matters. /charlie _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Owen West Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 1:21 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [cfaussie] should DateFormat() be depricated (in favour ofLSDateFormat())? or, we could just make idiot American's use the same date formats as the rest of the English-speaking world! or is that too harsh (methinks not, having been burned by Allaire/Macromedia/Adobe/Microsoft/Borland/the list goes on and on with regards to storing, interpreting and using dates across international boundaries). The whole thing makes me see red!! Owen West MCP MCAD MCSD Computer Programmer Applications Development Team Information Technology & Telecommunications Hunter New England Health Ph: (02) 4921 4194 Fax: (02) 4921 4191 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "cfaussie" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cfaussie?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
