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L/+LEAPR1
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_29.ADF |
| Filename: | L/+LEAPR1 |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 074F bytes |
| Load address: | 2B204556 |
| Exec address: | 5041454C |
File contents
Gus Donnachaidh Ed.O'Connell E.U.G. Stourport on Severn Worcs. 5th December 1996 Dear Gus, Following on Roy Warner's letter (and programme) on leap years and the year 2000, I am surprised that the British Museum would say that 2000 is not a leap year. Although the years 1900 and 1800 were not leap years, the year 2000 is (as also would the year 1600 have been if leap years were in use then). According to Whitaker's Almanac the rules are as follows:- The number of a leap year must be exactly divisible by four unless it is the last year of the century,which can only be a leap year if it is exactly divisible by 400. The year 2000 is of course divisible by 400 and is therefore a leap year. They use the expression "last year of the century" because the year 100 was the last year of the first century,not the first year of the second century. It follows therefore that the year 2000 is the last year of second millenium and 2001 is the start of the third millenium, so I wonder why everybody is getting hyped up about celebrating the year 2000 ? Coming back to the possibility of software problems with the year 2000, I assume it must be due to applications using field sizes of less than four characters for the year, thus being left with a value of zero when they add one to 1999. The older inflexible programmes written for mainframe computers will present the worst problems, but it is open to question whether the banks and insurance companies should be carrying these dinosaurs over to the next millenium anyway. Regards, Ed.O'Connell YOUR FINAL POINT IS QUITE GOOD. MAYBE BILL GATES HAS A 'NEW GENERATION' COMPUTER WHICH HE INTENDS TO RELEASE IN 1999 AND THIS HYPE IS SIMPLY AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO BUY IT, DUMPING THEIR OLD MODELS OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. NOW AM I CYNICAL?
00000000 47 75 73 20 44 6f 6e 6e 61 63 68 61 69 64 68 09 |Gus Donnachaidh.| 00000010 09 09 09 09 45 64 2e 4f 27 43 6f 6e 6e 65 6c 6c |....Ed.O'Connell| 00000020 0d 45 2e 55 2e 47 2e 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 53 74 |.E.U.G........St| 00000030 6f 75 72 70 6f 72 74 20 6f 6e 20 53 65 76 65 72 |ourport on Sever| 00000040 6e 0d 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 57 6f 72 63 73 2e 0d |n........Worcs..| 00000050 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 0d 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 35 |...............5| 00000060 74 68 20 44 65 63 65 6d 62 65 72 20 31 39 39 36 |th December 1996| 00000070 0d 0d 44 65 61 72 20 47 75 73 2c 0d 0d 46 6f 6c |..Dear Gus,..Fol| 00000080 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 52 6f 79 20 57 61 |lowing on Roy Wa| 00000090 72 6e 65 72 27 73 20 6c 65 74 74 65 72 20 28 61 |rner's letter (a| 000000a0 6e 64 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 6d 65 29 20 6f 6e |nd programme) on| 000000b0 20 6c 65 61 70 20 79 65 61 72 73 20 61 6e 64 20 | leap years and | 000000c0 74 68 65 0d 79 65 61 72 20 32 30 30 30 2c 20 49 |the.year 2000, I| 000000d0 20 61 6d 20 73 75 72 70 72 69 73 65 64 20 74 68 | am surprised th| 000000e0 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 42 72 69 74 69 73 68 20 4d |at the British M| 000000f0 75 73 65 75 6d 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 73 61 79 20 |useum would say | 00000100 74 68 61 74 20 32 30 30 30 0d 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 |that 2000.is not| 00000110 20 61 20 6c 65 61 70 20 79 65 61 72 2e 20 41 6c | a leap year. Al| 00000120 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 73 |though the years| 00000130 20 31 39 30 30 20 61 6e 64 20 31 38 30 30 20 77 | 1900 and 1800 w| 00000140 65 72 65 20 6e 6f 74 20 6c 65 61 70 20 79 65 61 |ere not leap yea| 00000150 72 73 2c 0d 74 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 20 32 30 30 |rs,.the year 200| 00000160 30 20 69 73 20 28 61 73 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 77 6f |0 is (as also wo| 00000170 75 6c 64 20 74 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 20 31 36 30 |uld the year 160| 00000180 30 20 68 61 76 65 20 62 65 65 6e 20 69 66 20 6c |0 have been if l| 00000190 65 61 70 20 79 65 61 72 73 0d 77 65 72 65 20 69 |eap years.were i| 000001a0 6e 20 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 6e 29 2e 0d 41 63 63 |n use then)..Acc| 000001b0 6f 72 64 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 57 68 69 74 61 6b |ording to Whitak| 000001c0 65 72 27 73 20 41 6c 6d 61 6e 61 63 20 74 68 65 |er's Almanac the| 000001d0 20 72 75 6c 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 61 73 20 66 6f | rules are as fo| 000001e0 6c 6c 6f 77 73 3a 2d 0d 0d 09 54 68 65 20 6e 75 |llows:-...The nu| 000001f0 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 61 20 6c 65 61 70 20 79 |mber of a leap y| 00000200 65 61 72 20 6d 75 73 74 20 62 65 20 65 78 61 63 |ear must be exac| 00000210 74 6c 79 20 64 69 76 69 73 69 62 6c 65 20 62 79 |tly divisible by| 00000220 20 66 6f 75 72 0d 09 75 6e 6c 65 73 73 20 69 74 | four..unless it| 00000230 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 79 65 61 | is the last yea| 00000240 72 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 65 6e 74 75 72 79 |r of the century| 00000250 2c 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 |,which can only | 00000260 62 65 20 61 0d 09 6c 65 61 70 20 79 65 61 72 20 |be a..leap year | 00000270 69 66 20 69 74 20 69 73 20 65 78 61 63 74 6c 79 |if it is exactly| 00000280 20 64 69 76 69 73 69 62 6c 65 20 62 79 20 34 30 | divisible by 40| 00000290 30 2e 0d 0d 54 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 20 32 30 30 |0...The year 200| 000002a0 30 20 69 73 20 6f 66 20 63 6f 75 72 73 65 20 64 |0 is of course d| 000002b0 69 76 69 73 69 62 6c 65 20 62 79 20 34 30 30 20 |ivisible by 400 | 000002c0 61 6e 64 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 72 65 66 6f 72 65 |and is therefore| 000002d0 20 61 20 6c 65 61 70 0d 79 65 61 72 2e 0d 0d 54 | a leap.year...T| 000002e0 68 65 79 20 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 70 72 |hey use the expr| 000002f0 65 73 73 69 6f 6e 20 22 6c 61 73 74 20 79 65 61 |ession "last yea| 00000300 72 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 65 6e 74 75 72 79 |r of the century| 00000310 22 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 79 65 |" because the ye| 00000320 61 72 20 0d 31 30 30 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 |ar .100 was the | 00000330 6c 61 73 74 20 79 65 61 72 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 |last year of the| 00000340 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 63 65 6e 74 75 72 79 2c 6e | first century,n| 00000350 6f 74 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 79 65 61 |ot the first yea| 00000360 72 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 0d 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 |r of the .second| 00000370 1a 20 63 65 6e 74 75 72 79 2e 1a 20 49 74 20 66 |. century.. It f| 00000380 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 73 20 74 68 65 72 65 66 6f 72 65 |ollows therefore| 00000390 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 20 32 | that the year 2| 000003a0 30 30 30 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 0d |000 is the last.| 000003b0 79 65 61 72 20 6f 66 20 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 20 6d |year of second m| 000003c0 69 6c 6c 65 6e 69 75 6d 20 61 6e 64 20 32 30 30 |illenium and 200| 000003d0 31 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 73 74 61 72 74 20 6f |1 is the start o| 000003e0 66 20 74 68 65 20 74 68 69 72 64 20 6d 69 6c 6c |f the third mill| 000003f0 65 6e 69 75 6d 2c 0d 73 6f 20 49 20 77 6f 6e 64 |enium,.so I wond| 00000400 65 72 20 77 68 79 20 65 76 65 72 79 62 6f 64 79 |er why everybody| 00000410 20 69 73 20 67 65 74 74 69 6e 67 20 68 79 70 65 | is getting hype| 00000420 64 20 75 70 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 63 65 6c 65 62 |d up about celeb| 00000430 72 61 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 0d 79 65 61 72 20 |rating the.year | 00000440 32 30 30 30 20 3f 0d 0d 43 6f 6d 69 6e 67 20 62 |2000 ?..Coming b| 00000450 61 63 6b 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 73 73 69 |ack to the possi| 00000460 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20 6f 66 20 73 6f 66 74 77 61 |bility of softwa| 00000470 72 65 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 73 20 77 69 74 68 |re problems with| 00000480 20 74 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 20 32 30 30 30 2c 0d | the year 2000,.| 00000490 49 1a 20 61 73 73 75 6d 65 1a 20 69 74 1a 20 6d |I. assume. it. m| 000004a0 75 73 74 1a 20 62 65 20 64 75 65 20 74 6f 20 61 |ust. be due to a| 000004b0 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 75 73 69 6e |pplications usin| 000004c0 67 20 66 69 65 6c 64 20 73 69 7a 65 73 20 6f 66 |g field sizes of| 000004d0 20 6c 65 73 73 0d 74 68 61 6e 20 66 6f 75 72 20 | less.than four | 000004e0 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 66 6f 72 20 74 |characters for t| 000004f0 68 65 20 79 65 61 72 2c 20 74 68 75 73 20 62 65 |he year, thus be| 00000500 69 6e 67 20 6c 65 66 74 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 |ing left with a | 00000510 76 61 6c 75 65 20 6f 66 20 7a 65 72 6f 0d 77 68 |value of zero.wh| 00000520 65 6e 20 74 68 65 79 20 61 64 64 20 6f 6e 65 20 |en they add one | 00000530 74 6f 20 31 39 39 39 2e 20 54 68 65 20 6f 6c 64 |to 1999. The old| 00000540 65 72 20 69 6e 66 6c 65 78 69 62 6c 65 20 70 72 |er inflexible pr| 00000550 6f 67 72 61 6d 6d 65 73 20 77 72 69 74 74 65 6e |ogrammes written| 00000560 20 66 6f 72 0d 6d 61 69 6e 66 72 61 6d 65 20 63 | for.mainframe c| 00000570 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 72 |omputers will pr| 00000580 65 73 65 6e 74 20 74 68 65 20 77 6f 72 73 74 20 |esent the worst | 00000590 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 73 2c 20 62 75 74 20 69 74 |problems, but it| 000005a0 20 69 73 20 6f 70 65 6e 20 74 6f 0d 71 75 65 73 | is open to.ques| 000005b0 74 69 6f 6e 20 77 68 65 74 68 65 72 20 74 68 65 |tion whether the| 000005c0 20 62 61 6e 6b 73 20 61 6e 64 20 69 6e 73 75 72 | banks and insur| 000005d0 61 6e 63 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 61 6e 69 65 73 20 73 |ance companies s| 000005e0 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 20 63 61 72 72 79 69 6e |hould be carryin| 000005f0 67 0d 74 68 65 73 65 20 64 69 6e 6f 73 61 75 72 |g.these dinosaur| 00000600 73 20 6f 76 65 72 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 |s over to the ne| 00000610 78 74 20 6d 69 6c 6c 65 6e 69 75 6d 20 61 6e 79 |xt millenium any| 00000620 77 61 79 2e 0d 0d 52 65 67 61 72 64 73 2c 0d 0d |way...Regards,..| 00000630 45 64 2e 4f 27 43 6f 6e 6e 65 6c 6c 0d 0d 59 4f |Ed.O'Connell..YO| 00000640 55 52 20 46 49 4e 41 4c 20 50 4f 49 4e 54 20 49 |UR FINAL POINT I| 00000650 53 20 51 55 49 54 45 20 47 4f 4f 44 2e 20 4d 41 |S QUITE GOOD. MA| 00000660 59 42 45 20 42 49 4c 4c 20 47 41 54 45 53 20 48 |YBE BILL GATES H| 00000670 41 53 20 41 20 27 4e 45 57 20 47 45 4e 45 52 41 |AS A 'NEW GENERA| 00000680 54 49 4f 4e 27 0d 43 4f 4d 50 55 54 45 52 20 57 |TION'.COMPUTER W| 00000690 48 49 43 48 20 48 45 20 49 4e 54 45 4e 44 53 20 |HICH HE INTENDS | 000006a0 54 4f 20 52 45 4c 45 41 53 45 20 49 4e 20 31 39 |TO RELEASE IN 19| 000006b0 39 39 20 41 4e 44 20 54 48 49 53 20 48 59 50 45 |99 AND THIS HYPE| 000006c0 20 49 53 20 53 49 4d 50 4c 59 20 41 4e 0d 41 54 | IS SIMPLY AN.AT| 000006d0 54 45 4d 50 54 20 54 4f 20 4d 41 4b 45 20 45 56 |TEMPT TO MAKE EV| 000006e0 45 52 59 4f 4e 45 20 46 45 45 4c 20 54 48 41 54 |ERYONE FEEL THAT| 000006f0 20 54 48 45 59 20 48 41 56 45 20 54 4f 20 42 55 | THEY HAVE TO BU| 00000700 59 20 49 54 2c 20 44 55 4d 50 49 4e 47 20 54 48 |Y IT, DUMPING TH| 00000710 45 49 52 20 4f 4c 44 0d 4d 4f 44 45 4c 53 20 4f |EIR OLD.MODELS O| 00000720 52 20 53 55 46 46 45 52 20 54 48 45 20 43 4f 4e |R SUFFER THE CON| 00000730 53 45 51 55 45 4e 43 45 53 2e 20 0d 0d 4e 4f 57 |SEQUENCES. ..NOW| 00000740 20 41 4d 20 49 20 43 59 4e 49 43 41 4c 3f 0d | AM I CYNICAL?.| 0000074f
L/+LEAPR1.m0
L/+LEAPR1.m1
L/+LEAPR1.m2
L/+LEAPR1.m4
L/+LEAPR1.m5
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