Creating a Stage variable to convert date

pebbles · Post by **pebbles** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:06 am

I need to convert dates from an input data to the last day of the next month in a transformer stage and need help with how to achieve this.

kcbland · Post by **kcbland** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:11 am

A Time dimension would help out.

pebbles · Post by **pebbles** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:19 am

Do you mean a time dimension table?

kcbland · Post by **kcbland** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:28 am

pebbles · Post by **pebbles** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:29 am

Ok, thanks.
I was thinking there was a chance this could be achieved in datastage

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:38 am

Nobody suggested that it couldn't be done in a DS transform. The algorithm is to compute the first day of the month that is 2 greater than the current, then to subtract one day from it.

kcbland · Post by **kcbland** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:40 am

To find the last day of a month, you can always go to the first day of the next month and then subtract one day (using an inherent date manipulation function, not your own).

There is always a way, but is there a good way? Anytime you are tasked with finding the last day of any month you have to write logic that is month and leap year sensitive. Anytime you have to do something like that then you have to do careful math. If you use inherent functions within a programming language that insulates you from those considerations then the odds of you doing correct math go up.

Time dimensions are just an elegant solution.

pebbles · Post by **pebbles** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:45 am

Thanks for this, this really helps.