On Sat 2013-09-14T23:59:53 -0700, Guy Harris hath writ:
The *input* can either be a count of seconds that have elapsed since the Epoch or can be seconds-since-the-Epoch. (Yes, the snarky tone is intended.)
I hesitantly point out that due to variations in national legislation phrases like the number of "seconds that have elapsed since the Epoch" is subject to variation between jurisdictions http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/epochtime.html The distinction between the "right" and POSIX flavors of tz corresponds to the two extremes. The "right" flavor counts the number of second markers actually used in radio broadcast time signals (effectively mean solar seconds before 1972 and atomic seconds after). The POSIX flavor effectively counts mean solar seconds in order that it can have 86400 in a civil day (which so far is mean solar). So phrases like "seconds that have been broadcast according to international radio regulations" may be useful for clarity. -- Steve Allen <sla@ucolick.org> WGS-84 (GPS) UCO/Lick Observatory--ISB Natural Sciences II, Room 165 Lat +36.99855 1156 High Street Voice: +1 831 459 3046 Lng -122.06015 Santa Cruz, CA 95064 http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/ Hgt +250 m