MINDATE returns a character string containing the earliest
date/time value corresponding to a specified date/time pattern.
MINDATE('YYYY-MM-DD-HH.MI.SS.999999') returns the value '1582-10-14-00.00.00.000000'
under the NONULLDATE compiler option and '0001-01-01-00.00.00.000000'
under the NULLDATE compiler option.