Arguments

 

date-length

   OpenVMS usage:longword_signed
   type:         longword (signed)
   access:       write only
   mechanism:    by reference

   Receives the maximum possible length of the date-string argument
   returned to LIB$FORMAT_DATE_TIME. The date-length argument is the
   address of a signed longword that receives this maximum length.
   The length written to date-length reflects the greatest possible
   length of an output date/time string for the currently selected
   output format and natural language.

   For example, if the selected output date/time format includes
   the alphabetic, unabbreviated month name (assuming English as
   the natural language), the longest month name (September) would
   have to be taken into consideration when determining the maximum
   possible length of date-string.
 

user-context

   OpenVMS usage:context
   type:         longword (unsigned)
   access:       modify
   mechanism:    by reference

   Context variable that retains the translation context over
   multiple calls to this routine. The user-context argument is the
   address of an unsigned longword that contains this context. The
   initial value of the context variable must be zero. Thereafter,
   the user program must not write to the cell.

   The user-context parameter is optional. However, if a context
   cell is not passed, the routine LIB$GET_MAXIMUM_DATE_LENGTH
   may abort if two threads of execution attempt to manipulate the
   context area concurrently. Therefore, when calling this routine
   in situations where reentrancy might occur, such as from AST
   level, VSI recommends that users specify a different context cell
   for each calling thread.
 

flags

   OpenVMS usage:mask_longword
   type:         longword (unsigned)
   access:       read only
   mechanism:    by reference

   Bit mask that allows the user to specify whether the date, time,
   or both are to be included in the calculation of the maximum date
   length. The flags argument is the address of an unsigned bit mask
   containing the specified values. Valid values are LIB$M_DATE_
   FIELDS and LIB$M_TIME_FIELDS. The values specified for flags must
   correspond to the flags argument passed to LIB$FORMAT_DATE_TIME.