Subject Re: D2109 - INSERT INTO for a literal date doesn't seem to recognise From Ken Mayer <dbase@nospam.goldenstag.net> Date Sun, 2 Mar 2025 21:05:31 -0800 Newsgroups dbase.getting-started On 3/2/2025 2:06 PM, BRUCE HEATH wrote: > Hi, > > I'm playing with dBase 2109 and noticed that INSERT INTO seems a bit flaky when loading  DATE information. > > I have a simple rountine that uses INSERT INTO (date_field) VALUES (date_string) and I'm trying to load a date in DD/MM/YY format. Both the Windows 10 system and the Dbase ini file have the date format set to DD/MM/YY > > e.g. > INSERT INTO (fd) VALUES ("27/12/59") > This prompts a :Database Engine Error : Type mismatch in expression" error. > > if I change it to american format e.g. > > INSERT INTO (fd) VALUES ("12/27/59")   //so MM/DD/YY format > > it goes through without a fault, but I'm wondering why the command fails. > > It seems as though the command doesn't recognise either the system format or the dBase SET DATE format. > > When I retrieve the data, however, it's in the "right" format (DD/MM/YY) even though the load in requires MM/DD/YY. Dates usually must be entered in a year/month/day format for SQL, and the INSERT INTO command is local SQL via the BDE, or the current date format for your database and dBASE. How is the software supposed to know what parts of What part of either of the three parts of the date is supposed to be the day of the month, the month, and the year? It's a good idea to use four-digit years, as well. (If you used for your data 25 for the year, is that 1925, 2025 ...?) Try using:  1958/12/27 And see what happens. Ken -- *Ken Mayer* Ken's dBASE Page: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase The dUFLP: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/index.htm#duflp dBASE Books: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Books/dBASEBooks.htm dBASE Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Tutorial/00_Preface.htm dBASE Web Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/WebTutorial/00_Menu.htm dBASE DOS to Windows Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/DtoWTutorial/00_Menu.htm