Brian Inglis wrote:
I am concerned about: * the downstream effect of these changes on client code
We have had numeric time zone abbreviations in tzdata since release 2016b, and client code seems to be doing OK.
* duplication of the numeric offset in a useless text string already available as a different format string, and the subsequent need to change that string every time an offset changes
Yes, which is why I'd eventually like to change tzdata source to use %z instead. I've deferred this because I want the relevant zic.c changes to make their way out to downstream platforms. Once this happens, the duplication can be removed.
* the lack of any legislative or widespread community push towards making unnecessary changes to the data
Look at the bright side: thank goodness the U.N. isn't harassing us about this! We'd never get anything done. (:-) Seriously - whether the changes are necessary depends on how seriously one considers invented data to be. I view the matter seriously enough to want to fix the problem when reasonably feasible, as is the case here. Admittedly this is a judgment call.
* the lack of any coordination with downstream distributors and consumers e.g. travel industry, airlines, to assess the impact
Coordination can be done via this mailing list. Anybody in the travel industry, etc. is welcome to report problems they run into because (say) in South Kazakhstan the GNU/Linux 'date' command now outputs "+06" rather than "ALMT". Although the absence of such email does not mean no problems exist, any such problems are likely to be minor given that tzdata 2016d and later have been in widespread use for months without serious squawks from users.
* political impact from outrage by American, Canadian, European, etc. output consumers, managers, IT managers, programmers when their favourite TLA gets replaced by some number based on the UK
This shouldn't be a problem, as there are no plans to replace common English-language abbreviations like "PST" and "CEST". The goal is only to remove invented abbreviations like "ALMT".