[thelist] Perl & Unix epoch

[Andrew Forsberg]

> If data processing was its purpose, than maybe it'd also transform XML
> for you, or do other tedious formatting tasks.
>
> Also, the date functions in programming languages (or at least in PHP)
> are usually more elaborate than those offered by the database.

Maybe. But getting the db to grab all entries within a week (or within a
month, or from every odd month in every even year since 1982 but before
June 1994, or...) is so much nicer than yet another block of while loops
in one's code.

I have not a clue about other db servers, but MySQL's date functions are
quite well developed. Taking advantage of them means the results are
returned faster (less to transfer from the db to app), the results are
correct and in the order you want them from the get-go, and only the
data you need leaves the db. All good things AFAICS.

Cheers
Andrew