logical function checkdates ( dates, ndates, ierror,
     &			xdates )
C
C	return value: True = all dates are in order, false, out of order
C	ierror = line where error occurred; random if all dates are in order
C	xdates = array of real*8 dates in ch2sec format, if everything is OK
C
        integer ndates, ierror
	character*25 dates(ndates), sec2ch, tnew
	double precision ch2sec, t, tlast, xdates(ndates)
	external ch2sec, sec2ch
        logical error, result
        data result/.true./

        tlast = ch2sec ( dates(1), .true., error) 
        tnew = sec2ch ( tlast )
        dates (1) = tnew
	xdates(1) = tlast

        do i=2, ndates
	   t = ch2sec ( dates(i), .true., error)
	   xdates(i) = t
	   tnew = sec2ch ( t )
	   dates (i) = tnew
           if (t .lt. tlast) then
	      result = .false.
	      ierror = i
	      goto 9999
	   else
	      tlast = t
	   end if
        end do

 9999   continue
        checkdates = result
	return
	end


C        program tester
C        logical checkdates
C	character*25 dates(11)
C	data dates / '16-APR-1992 23:30',
C     &	'19-APR-1992 15:12', '13-MAY-1992 01:48', '18-JUN-1992 22:20',
C     &  '27-JUL-1992 14:20', '29-AUG-1993 15:03', '2-SEP-1993 03:01',
C     &  '6-OCT-1993 04:27', '11-NOV-1993 19:22', '12-DEC-1993 08:29',
C     &  '13-MAY-1994 05:06'/
C	data dates / '16-APR-1992 23:30',
C     &	'19-APR-1992 15:12', '13-MAY-1992 01:48', '18-JUN-1992 22:20',
C     &  '27-JUL-1992 14:20', '29-AUG-1993 15:03', '2-SEP-1993 03:01',
C     &  '6-OCT-1993 04:27', '11-NOV-1992 19:22', '12-DEC-1993 08:29',
C     &  '13-MAY-1994 05:06'/
C	write(6,*) checkdates(dates, 11, ierror), ' ', ierror
C	stop
C	end