Mysteries of the future

Mysteries of the future

The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:

Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/functions-formatting.html
Description:

I'm not sure that there will be 31 days in 11 months; although postgresql
probably knows better what will happen in 20000 

For example (with the year 20000): to_date('200001131', 'YYYYMMDD') will be
interpreted as a 4-digit year; instead use a non-digit separator after the
year, like to_date('20000-1131', 'YYYY-MMDD') or to_date('20000Nov31',
'YYYYMonDD').

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-formatting.html

```sql
SELECT to_date('20000-1131', 'YYYY-MMDD');

ERROR:  22008: date/time field value out of range: "20000-1131"
LOCATION:  DateTimeParseError, datetime.c:4021
```

Re: Mysteries of the future

PG Doc comments form  writes:
> SELECT to_date('20000-1131', 'YYYY-MMDD');
> ERROR:  22008: date/time field value out of range: "20000-1131"

What exactly do you find wrong with that?  November doesn't have
31 days.

Sure, we could have a discussion about the probability of the
Gregorian calendar still being in use 18000 years from now,
but it doesn't seem very profitable.  What else do you want
to use?

			regards, tom lane

Re: Mysteries of the future

"David G. Johnston"  writes:
> The request is to fix our documentation to use a valid date for the example
> in the paragraph that describes the separator requirement for years greater
> than 4 digits.

Oh!  Got it, that should be fixed.

			regards, tom lane

Re: Mysteries of the future