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#1 2006-12-06 11:03:52
- saccade
- Plugin Author
- From: Neubeuern, Germany
- Registered: 2004-11-05
- Posts: 521
timestamp and DST behaviour
I have problems with the timestamp behaviour and DST-setting.
When summertime/DST changes all timestamps of existing articles are recalculated and thus reflect a wrong time.
The “posted”-time will be given on another base, e.g. now one hour too early.
The same will be the other way round.
So not the valid time when posted is shown but the time in relation to the present time setting.
Is it possible – and I think it should be the default behaviour – to disconnect the timestamp from the summertime/DST-setting? (And maybe possibly the timezone-setting?). So that it is only once set in an article based on those settings but later not automatically modified if those settings change?
I think once set a timestamp should be static (until it is changed of course), so that e.g. 11:00 is always 11:00?
Only under certain circumstances (I can’t imagine a realistic scenario, but maybe there is one) someone will need to change all timestamps based on another timezone/DST. This only would make sense if I change the audience of a website to another timezone and want to give them the absolute time based on their timezone or actual time (weird thought though).
The behaviour is very important for me because of the following scenario:
I run a calendar.
Different people post articles with events to it.
The whole management of future/passed events and the presentation of the events is managed by using the timestamp.
The timestamp will be posted as the events beginning time and it will control, when an event is passed and disappears from the list.
Problem with changing timestamp:
If the timestamp is recalculated based on the DST all times of events posted in e.g. summertime will be shown wrong in wintertime and vice versa.
Someone will need to change the times manually and (for he normally hasn’t a plan to refer to) has to carefully consider, if the articles time has been set in another timesetting or in the actaul timesetting.
But also in normal blog- or posting scenarios this seems important for me:
With the behaviour as it is now the “posted”-information will change with the DST.
So if there is a point, when it is of importance at which (actual local valid) time someone posted his article (imagine a live comment on something), this will lead to false information.
Much better would be, if the timestamp reflects the local valid time without any automatic change.
(If someone really needs a change it should be done with a separate function.)
Last edited by saccade (2006-12-06 11:08:47)
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Re: timestamp and DST behaviour
This bus has long been known, but it is not easy to fix, due to the fscked nature of DST, which is different in many, many countries. There were a couple of discussion of this, I think the most complete is this one:
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#3 2006-12-07 22:16:38
- saccade
- Plugin Author
- From: Neubeuern, Germany
- Registered: 2004-11-05
- Posts: 521
Re: timestamp and DST behaviour
Thank you, sencer, for the link.
I have read the thread carefully and tried to begin a proposal, which I posted there.
The time bug is a real problematic one for me, because I have at least two websites which are sensibly affected by the problem – and more planned.
As i figured out it is not only a problem of DST but a problem of local or contextual or conventional time as a whole, which is a part of essential information that is not saved adequate in txp.
EDIT: I have posted my thoughts in german too.
Last edited by saccade (2006-12-08 19:21:46)
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