Y2k Essays - Computing, Software, Software Bugs, COBOL,

Y2k I Understanding the Y2K problem A- Two-Digit year/Six-digit date coding But what is the meaning for two-digit year/Six-digit date coding? It is very simple, the two-digit year is the last numbers entered for the year. So if you want to put the year 1990 into some applications in the computer, you will enter the last two numbers 90 to the applications. Six-digit date coding is which In BIOS the date is written into six digits, two for day, two for month and two for year. By using the two digits for representing the year is the problem. It will cause in year 2000 a failure. The applications that require the user to enter the year routinely into two digits to reduce the keystrokes will fail to operate. So the computer will fail to append the correct century. For an example, If you want to enter a data which have the year 2000 and also have the year 1900. You will put 00 for year 2000 and 00 for year 1900. So the capability to differentiate between date in the twentieth century and date in the twenty-first century will fail. However, All programs that represent the day of week by calculating it with the year last two digits will print a wrong date. The dates in 1900s are not as in 2000s. For example, January 1, 2000, will be Saturday but January 1, 1900, was Monday. B- Programmer's reasons for making the problem a- Saving memory space in the computer. The computers have a small amount of memory available and the memory in bios is very expensive. b- They found that it is more easier to put two digits for the year than four digits And more easier to be print. c- Since they make it two numbers, They didn't think that year 2000 will come Because it was a long time for it. For that, A lot of programs were written in the traditional manner of using two digit years on the date. C- It is not the first time It is a shock to everyone to know that's this problem is not the first one. It is happened before. It made a major system balk at going from 1979 to 1980. II Programmable logic devices (PLD) By time, Logic devices or programmable logic devices (PLD) will stop working if it has date adjustment. But what are (PLD)? (PLD) are chips that are used to operate many devices, such as coffee maker, Security systems, Videos, Nuclear power, Phones, Mobiles, Transport, Communications, Nuclear industry, Banking and finance. These devices may be programmed by the Assembler programming language. But at first, you will ask why date adjustment is the problem? Because it must deals with the eight digit date and not six digit date only. So it must have eight digits to deal with year 2000. And to differentiate between year 2000 and 1900. No one now knows how many problems will be explored. Some problems are known like: - a- It will fail to operate. b- Report an incorrect day of the week if it thinks that's year 1900 but is not year 2000. But on other hand, PLD devices are used in a large production systems like food processing, power plants and power company. Do you agree to stay in your home without electricity for some days?. Companies must find out what problems will occur and find a solution for it before it happens. A- Credit cards Your credit card is expired. This is an example of what will be happened by the scanner that scan your credit card. The program that checks your credit card will say that today greater than the expiration date. Thus, 01/01/99 is greater than 01/01/00, which would result in your credit card being rejected. B- Security systems However, If you have a security system, It will checks to see if today is s valid date before recording an exit or an entry from a building. If the 00 date is determined to be out of range or the computation is at fault the system may simply shut down and lock all the doors. III Operating systems and software ability to year 2000 A- Apple Macintosh If you have Mac OS or apple Macintosh computer don't worry. It does not have any error and can pass year 2000.