st often, computers are not instructed that "98" is an abbreviation for "1998". Some software instructs the computer that "99" is the highest possible value, to be followed by a return to "00". Some software instructs the computer that 99 is a number, that should be followed by 100. Some software does not provide any explicit instruction to the computer about what comes after "99". In some cases, software does command the computer to treat "98" as an abbreviation of "1998". Usually this instruction is performed by inserting the characters "19" in front of the "98". Other types of software tell the computer to add 1900 + 98. There are cases when the addition method will work as well in 2000 as it does now, IF the software tells the computer that 99 is a number, followed by 100. In these instances, adding the number 1900 to the number 100 will correctly produce the number, 2000. In many cases, though, the software instructions to the computer will result in an incorrect year of "00", or "1900", or "19100", or will fail to produce any answer at all. Sorts, comparisons, and calculations performed with incorrect year values will result in a variety of unexpected consequences. Depending on the type of software and hardware, these failures could result in garbled reports or they could cause computers to crash.Is year 2000 a leap year? 2000 is a Leap Year and there will be a February 29th, as decreed in about 45 BC, and not altered by calendar changes instituted by the Papal Bull of 1582 and the Calendar Act of 1752. Some software does not recognize 2000 as a leap year, and can cause a variety of problems. There are many websites that document the rules for calculating leap years.What types of computer functions are affected? A wide variety of computers are affected by Year 2000 problems, ranging from personal computers for home use, to mainframes that run huge corporations, and everything in between. Workstat...
