{{umbrella|Imprint}}
In principle, '''each bibliographical description has a date'''. Undated works which presumably fall within the STCV project boundaries (i.e. before 1801), receive a tentative date in the sense of '17th century?' or '18th century'. For reproduction the year of publication, the following rules apply:
#The year is given as it is mentioned in the imprint, even if that includes mistakes.
#The year is given in Arabic numerals. Latin dates are converted: M.D.CL. becomes '1650'.
#Years in Greek are retained and are calculated between square brackets: 'αζζα [= 1661]'.
#Years from different calendars, such as the Jewish, Islamic or republican calendar, are retained and calculated between square brackets: '5420 [= 1624]'.
#Double dates due to the use of two calendars in the source are retained: '5426/1666', 'an 6/1798'.
#Incorrect years are retained and corrected between square brackets: '1954 [= 1654]'.
#Impossible Roman numbers are quoted and corrected between square brackets, preceded by an exclamation mark: 'M.D.C.XLXI [!= 1649]'.
#For multi-volume works, the earliest and latest years of publication are given.
#For multi-volume works where a later volume appeared before the first, this order is retained in the dates.
#Undated works that can be dated with certainty on the basis of another element receive this date with the source-indication 'document' or 'extern'. In the case of 'extern' we use square brackets '[YYYY]', for 'document' we use parentheses '(YYYY)'. For dates in the colophon we use '(col.YYYY)'. The date can be explained in a general note: 'date from approbation'.
#Undated works that can be dated approximately on the basis of another element receive this approximate date with the source-indication 'document' or 'extern'. The date can be explained in a general note.
##If the margin of uncertainty is one year, the earliest date is followed by a question mark.
##If the margin of uncertainty is more than one year, the date is preceded by circa ('c.').
##If the period can be limited by termini post and/or ante quem, then these limits are indicated.
##Finally, one can resort to vague dates or general definitions for the year of publication, such as '17th century?', 'early 17th century' or 'late 17th, early 18th century'.
In the Brocade software, however, these linguistic elements should be avoided as much as possible. This means certain nuances disappear. A general note can further refine or explain this.
|+Examples
|'''Rule'''
|'''Date in the work'''
|'''Date in the description'''
|1
|1663
|1663
|2
|M.D.C.XXV.
|1625
|4
|(Jewish date) 5420
|5420 [= 1660]
|5
|an 6/1789
|an 6/1789
|6
|1569
|1569 [= 1659]
|7
|M.D.C.XLXI
|M.D.C.XLXI [! = 1649]
|8
|part 1: 1605; part 2: 1608
|1605-1608
|9
|part 1: 1635; part 2: 1632
|1635, 1632
|10
|(privilege) 1645
|(1645)
|11 a
|(extern) 1672 or 1673
|[1672?]
|11 b
|(extern) between 1682 and 1685
|[c.1682]
|11 c
|(document) between 1634 and 1665
|(between 1634 and 1665)
|11 c
|(extern) before 1675
|[not after 1675]
|11 c
|(approbation) after 1698
|(not before 1698)
|11 d (extern)
|probably 17th century
|[17th century?]
|11 d (extern)
|last decade 17th century
|[169-]
|}
In Brocade, each year of publication has its own set. Each 'imprint' field contains two sets, so two year may be entered. Usually, only the first set is used, indicated by 'Year[1]'. The second set, indicated by 'Year[2]' is only used when parts of a multi-volume work are printed in different years.
Each set contains three fields:
*first field: type of dating
*second field: sorting year used by the system
*third field: room for nuance
The first two fields always need to be used. If the third is left blank, the system will present the contents of the second field in the form indicated in the first field. If the third field is used, the system will only show the information given here, regardless of the type chosen in the first field.
''First field: <nowiki>'type'</nowiki>''
The type of dating always needs to be determined. The standard and most common type is 'YYYY'. The type determines how a year is shown to the user: in the place of the Y-characters the number of the year entered into the 'sort by' field are shown, unless the 'also show' field contains data.
''Second field: <nowiki>'sort by'</nowiki>''
The field 'sort by' always needs to contain four Arabic numerals. The system sorts the bibliographical descriptions according to the year defined here, regardless of what is entered into the 'also show' field. In the case of uncertain or vague dates, sorting always needs to be done by the earliest possible year.
''Third field: <nowiki>'also show'</nowiki>''
The field 'also show' can be completed if the description needs to show a different date than is determined in the 'sort by' field. The field can also clarify an incorrect, strange or doubtful date. This makes it possible to present a different date in the description than the one used for sorting. This is important for incorrect dates in the imprint, impossible numbers or dates in different calendars.
<blockquote>'''''Example'''''
type YYYY; sort by 1623
The system shows '1623'
type [YYYY-]; sort by 1690
The system shows '[1690-]'
type (col.YYYY); sort by 1645; also show '[1673]'
The system shows '[1673]'</blockquote>
The 'also show' field, is a free text field. This is why it is important to pay attention to the correct use of parentheses and square brackets in this field. External dates are always placed between square brackets [], dates derived from the document itself are placed between parentheses ().
For works with one year of publication and multi-volume works where all parts appeared in the same year
!Desired result
!Type
!Sort by
!Also show
!Result shown
| colspan="5" |''Certain date''
|1645
|YYYY
|1645
|
|1645
|(col.1645)
|(col.YYYY)
|1645
|
|(col.1645)
|[1645]
|[YYYY]
|1645
|
|[1645]
| colspan="5" |''Uncertain date''
|[1678?]
|[YYYY?]
|1678
|
|[1678?
|[c.1678]
|[c.YYYY]
|1678
|
|[c.1678]
|(not before 1666)
|(YYYY-)
|1666
|
|(1666-)
|[not after 1666]
|[-YYYY]
|1666
|
|[-1666]
|[between 1624 and 1645]
|inter [YYYY-YYYY]
|1624
|[1624-1645]
|[1624-1645]
|[169-]
|[YYY-]
|1690
|[169-]
|[169-]
|[169-?]
|[YYY-?]
|1690
|[169-?]
|[169-?]
|[17th century]
|[YY--]
|1600
|[16--]
|[16--]
|[17th century?]
|[YY--?]
|1600
|[16--?]
|[16--?]
| colspan="5" |''Incorrect date''
|1689 [= 1698]
|YYYY
|1698
|1689
|1689 [= 1698]
|M.DC.XLXI [!= 1649]
|YYYY
|1649
|M.DC.XLXI [!= 1649]
|M.DC.XLXI [!= 1649]
| colspan="5" |''Clarification of the date (Islamic and Jewish dates, republican calendar)''
|1002 [= 1624]
|YYYY
|1624
|1002 [= 1624]
|1002 [= 1624]
|5420 [= 1660]
|YYYY
|1660
|5420 [= 1660]
|5420 [= 1660]
|an 6/1798
|YYYY
|1798
|an 6/1798
|an 6/1798
|}
For some dates, a second set of fields is used. This is the case for multi-volume works where parts appeared in different years.
!Desired result
!Type
!Sort by
!Also show
!Result shown
|1645-1657
|Year 1:YYYY<br>Year 2:YYYY
|1645<br>1657
|
|1645-1657
|1657,1655
|Year 1:YYYY<br>Year 2:YYYY
|1657<br>1655
|
|1657-1655
|}
Some nuances cannot be entered into the system. Dates such as 'late 17th, early 18th century' en '1657,1655' (for a multi-volume work where the second part appeared first) need to be noted as '16--' and '1657-1655'.
Only years from the title page are used for the year and format code. As discussed in the section on titles, the (collective) typographical title page is preferred above engraved title pages. It is this page, too, which forms the basis for the year-and-format code. In other words, if this page does not contain a year of publication in the imprint, the year-and-format code will show '0000'. This is also true for other dates on the basis of the document or from external sources. Clear mistakes are not corrected.
|+Examples
!Title page
!Colophon
!As shown in<br>year and format code
!Comment
|1654
|
|1654
|year on title page is noted
|1654
|1655
|1654
|title page preferred above colophon
|1967
|
|1967
|mistake on title page is preserved
|1967
|1697
|1967
|mistake on title page is preserved
|
|1676
|0000
|no year on title page
|16.9
|
|0000
|defective date on title page
|}
For all details about the year and format code, see the section on the bibliographical fingerprint.