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Article #3144

Time representations

#3144
From: Max TenEyck Woodbury
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 04:24
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    The C++ standard incorporates the C standard for dates and times
by reference.  There are at least three problems with the 'struct tm'
definition in that standard.

    First, the range specified for tm_sec is 0-59.  While this is the
normal range for almost all minutes, there are officially 'leap 
seconds' that are declared from time to time.  The standard should
reflect this possibility, even if it is almost always ignored in 
practice.

    Second, there are cultures that operate on a lunar calendar,
rather than on the Gregorian calendar.  They have 13 or more months
a year.  The tm_mon range needs to reflect this.

    Third, there are cultures that do not start their year on January
1st.  This has an impact on the definition of tm_yday even though
its range will not change.  There is a similar definitional problem
with tm_year.

    There may also be a problem with tm_wday.  I vaguely remember 
hearing about cycles of 17 or 19 days used in some cultural contexts
that might have been in addition to or in place of the weekly cycle,
but I can not remember the exact context.

        Max
---
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From: Max TenEyck Woodbury <mtew@cds.duke.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.std.c++
Subject: Time representations
Date: 30 Jan 1996 20:24:13 PST
Organization: Duke University Center for Demographic Studies
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