Agreed, there should probably be a new data type (although mark's suggestion tickles my fancy, as a short-range hack). But 64 bits is still limiting. I like an earlier suggestion to use a text- string or a coded decimal string date. Joe Yao jsdy@hadron.COM (not yet domainised) hadron!jsdy@{seismo.CSS.GOV,dtix.ARPA,decuac.DEC.COM} {arinc,att,avatar,cos,decuac,dtix,ecogong,kcwc}!hadron!jsdy {netex,netxcom,rlgvax,seismo,smsdpg,sundc}!hadron!jsdy