Re: Visio should support dates earlier than 1899 in timeline

Along this line, I am working on three separate projects which require dating
systems that support BC and AD timelines. I want to use Visio to create them,
but I can't figure a way to make it work. Trying to enter a simple linear
string variable sends the program into a fit and it has crashed or hanged as
a result of this. Does anyone know where to get a patch or a plug-in,
preferably an “OFFICIAL” one, that will allow me to use a simple linear scale
using the timeline charts to plot events in ancient times through modern???
This is maddening :-)

Thanks
Matthew

"Al Edlund" wrote:

You're correct in that you would have to move the markers manually. Re: the
time information AFAIK the timing is a technical thing in that under the
covers it is a count of days from 0 (in this case in 1899). The limitation
is how many days can be held using the definition (I believe type Long). It
would be a lot easier if everyone in the world would use x64 so different
(extended) data types could be used universally. Until then we are stuck
with it.
Al

"Christian Scholz" <ChristianScholz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:FFC249C4-F614-4461-BE86-87E47713F2DC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That would be fine...except that I don't think that custom-drawn timeline
blocks would inherit the scaling and placement abilities of the default
timeline blocks. If I draw my own and put a timeline marker on it, how
does
the marker know where to place itself on the timeline?

And wouldn't it be a relatively simple task for Microsoft to write a
routine
that can generate dates beyond what the system clock can (and why is the
system clock limited to 1899...? Sounds pretty arbitrary.)

Christian

"Al Edlund" wrote:

Visio uses the internal operating system clock for the timeline add-in,
which has the 1899 dependency. You always have the opportunity to draw
your
own and apply whatever dates you want.
Al

"Christian Scholz" <Christian Scholz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:327BED5C-D451-4F4E-A1FD-7B142D7A9A53@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kathleen--

Did you ever get a response from Microsoft that was useful? I am using
Visio 2007, and it still has the ridiculous 1899 limit on timelines.
In a
stunning display of brilliance, Visio is set up to allow the user to
make
timelines forecasting events occuring all the way until 12/31/4095.
Because
people are always making timelines forecasting events two millenia in
the
future, as opposed to a mere 200 years in the past.

Oddly enough, my reason for wanting to have pre-1899 timeline dates was
identical--I wanted to timeline Supreme Court jurisprudence as well.

Microsoft--the claim that "you would have to re-invent the wheel" is
ridiculous. Just shift the timeline range down by a millenia or
so--users
would at least be able to capture American history that way.

"Kathleen Crouch" wrote:

Please don't send me a workaround suggestion, I'm not looking for one.
It
would defeat the purpose of the timeline function. Simply put, Visio
should
support dates earlier than 1899. That it does not, is ridiculous.
Trying
to
plot out the progression of important dates in U.S. Supreme Court
history
is
quickly frustrated by the date limitation. I know for a fact that
others
have
the same complaint. I really don't understand what Microsoft was
thinking
here.

Please create a patch for Visio 2003, or be sure to add it to the next
full
version. thanks.

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