Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!rex!ukma!aunro!alberta!brazeau.ucs.ualberta.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!ubc-cs!uw-beaver!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!percy!m2xenix!quagga!undeed!barrett From: barrett@Daisy.EE.UND.AC.ZA (Alan P Barrett) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains Subject: Re: decimals in the serial field Message-ID: <1991Jun20.093116.19537@Daisy.EE.UND.AC.ZA> Date: 20 Jun 91 09:31:16 GMT References: <6529@ns-mx.uiowa.edu> Organization: Univ. Natal, Durban, S. Africa Lines: 23 In article , kre@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Elz) writes: jnford@argos.weeg.uiowa.edu (Jay Ford) writes: >Or, a serial number format of yyyymmddnn (with a 4-digit year) could be used. That's exactly what we use here already - ie: the serial number of AU is 1991061500 I've been using that format for ages - but now I've come to believe that the 2 digit 'nn' is unnecessary, one digit would be enough - more than 10 changes in a day just doesn't happen often enough to matter (and if it ocasionally does you can just borrow a number from tomorrow). I don't think I've ever actually gotten past about 05 ... That also solves all problems with possible signed numbers, etc, for a very long time indeed. Unfortunately switching from the 'nn' format back to a single 'n' isn't trivial, or I'd do that. kre