Subject: Two-digit year

From: Kathy Dally <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 15:55:23 -0500

Hi All! 

The UTC Time syntax has only two digits representing the year.  In
anticipation of 2000, a convention for interpretation of two-digit year
values was developed.  It should be referenced in RFC 2252bis, but where
is it specified?  Is LDAP referring to X.500 for this? 

Thanks, 
Kathy Dally

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From: "Steven Legg" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 10:25:55 +1100

Kathy,

> is it specified?  Is LDAP referring to X.500 for this?

This convention is described in the X.520, 4th edition description of
uTCTimeOrderingMatch. It isn't in the 2nd edition of X.520, which is
the edition we are referencing for ldapbis.

The solution is to duplicate or paraphrase the text in X.520:4th edition,
which is:

  "UTC times with year values 50 to 99 shall be taken to represent times
  that are earlier than UTC times with year values 00 to 49.

  The value of the two-digit year field shall be rationalized into a
  four-digit year value as follows:

  - if the 2-digit value is 00 through 49 inclusive, the value shall
  have 2000 added to it; and

  - if the 2-digit value is 50 through 99 inclusive, the value shall
  have 1900 added to it."

Regards,
Steven

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From: "Kurt D. Zeilenga" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 16:09:57 -0800

The problem with this convention, of course, is that it breaks
in the year 2050.  The syntax and dependent elements are obsolete.
I suggest we delete its specification from the document and
add a note (in the Changes since RFC 2252 section) stating
why it was deleted.

Kurt