*------- Original Message --------*
*Subject: *     [users] Date issue on open office.org calc
*Date: *        Wed, 11/Jul/2007 10:20:54 PM +0550
*From: *        Harold Fuchs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*To: *  [email protected]
*CC: *  Jonathon Coombes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>


> Lasantha Marian wrote:
>> This problem has been there since the beginning of OOo 2.2.x (starting
>> with RCs') and I have brought the attention of the developers also to
>> the same by this bug report
>> (http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=75118). Nothing
>> positive has happened yet. OOo 2.0.x series is immune to this problem.
>>
>> The circumstances under which I found the problem were different to how
>> you may how found the problem. But I too have done various test and can
>> confirm that this problem occurs under following conditions.
>>
>> Any sheet having date cells imported from databases (MSSQL or
>> PostgreSQL) or pasted from result sets given by such programs, can have
>> the problem. When the cell pointer is focussed at the cell (having such
>> dates) the date rolls back/forward by one date.
>>
>> Jonathan, your point I too have observed and I found that this problem
>> and the behavior you mentioned are mutually exclusive.
>>
>> I think attention of OOo developers should be immediately paid to this
>> as date cells are almost unavoidable in Spreadsheets and accurate
>> representation of dates are essential under any circumstance.
>>
>> Lasantha.
>>
>> Jonathon Coombes wrote:
>>  
>>> <div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed">
>>> On 05/07/2007, at 12:35 PM, Gary Dale wrote:
>>>
>>>    
>>>> Guan Kiet Yeo wrote:
>>>>      
>>>>> Dear Sir,
>>>>>
>>>>>   I'm using version 2.2.1 of OpenOffice.org Calc. My
>>>>> problem is the date after I save and then re-open the
>>>>> file, the date that I have key in the worksheet will
>>>>> totally run out. It will change to 2days earlier.
>>>>>
>>>>>    For example, I key in 07/01/07, it will show
>>>>> 06/29/07. Please help me to solve it out.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks & Best Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Jet Yeo
>>>>> +63 920 583 9051
>>>>> +6012-260 2606
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>         
>>>> I think that no one has replied because they don't understand what
>>>> the problem is that you are having. When you key in a date, it
>>>> displays properly unless there is something else involved. Can you
>>>> explain your problem more completely?
>>>> - does this happen in any worksheet, even a new, blank one?
>>>> - does it happen in any cell formatted as a date?
>>>> - does it happen immediately or do you have to close the worksheet
>>>> and re-open it?
>>>>       
>>> Have a look under the Tools -> Options -> OpenOffice.org Calc ->
>>> Calculate area and you will see a section labeled 'Date'. My guess is
>>> that you had entered your dates and then this area was changed from
>>> default to one of the other two values either in your application or
>>> by using a different install of OpenOffice.org to your original. Just
>>> note that if you enter a date and change these Date settings, the
>>> dates will change. You have to reenter existing dates to get them
>>> accurate, but once changed there will be no issue if you keep it
>>> consistent. Also note that it is dangerous to use the non-default
>>> values here if you intend to share these or use them with other
>>> versions set for default in the future.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Jonathon
>>>
>>> --------------------------
>>> Jonathon Coombes
>>> OOo Knowledgebase:-  http://mindmeld.cybersite.com.au
>>> http://www.cybersite.com.au
>>> http://www.training4linux.com
>>> </div>
>>>     
>>
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>>
>>   
> Could this be connected to the fact that Excel wrongly believes that
> 1900 was a leap year?
> Dates are stored as the number of dates since some "epoc" date, often
> 1/1/1900. Using this we see that, using *Excel*
>
> 1 Jan 1900 is stored as 0 (zero days *after* 1/1/1900)
> 31 Jan 1900 ........... 30
> 1 Feb 1900 ........... 31
> 28 Feb 1900 ........... 58
>
> At this point things start going awry. Excel believes there is a 29
> Feb 1900 and, if it saw this date, *would* store it as 59. So we get
> (*wrongly*)
>
> 29 Feb stored as 59
> 1 Mar        as 60
> 2 Mar        as 61 and so on.
>
> Of course, because of this phantom 29 Feb,
>
> 59 should be 1 Mar
> 60 should be 2 Mar
> 61 should be 3 Mar and so on.
>
> Now, OpenOffice Calc *knows* this so, when it sees a .ods (Calc) file
> with a date 61 it shows it as 3 Mar but when it sees a .xls (Excel)
> file with the *same* value it adjusts to show it as 2 Mar.
>
> Given all this, it seems possible that Calc *believes* (wrongly) that
> the OP's file came from Excel and therefore that it needs to adjust
> any stored date after 28 Feb 1900 (=58) by subtracting 1 from it. This
> would account for the observed behaviour.
>
> No solace for the OP unfortunately but at least a rational (?)
> hypothesis.
>
> Just a thought ...
>
Harold, I too can confirm part of your rationale based on few further
tests that I did yesterday, this occurs only when the file is one with
.xls extension and originally generated by Excel.

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