Julian cable is not on the time zone mailing list; direct (further) replies appropriately. Whenever a zone of the form XXXnYYY is used and there's no associated time zone data file, the time package generates results appropriate for a place where the standard time abbreviation is XXX, the daylight saving time abbreviation is YYY and the offset from UCT/UTC is n hours. Improvidently, the package assumes that United States rules about when to start and end daylight saving time are in effect; this accounts for the GMT0BST results below. --ado ________________________________ From: Julian Cable [mailto:julian.cable@bbc.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 8:11 AM To: tz@lecserver.nci.nih.gov Subject: problem with tz database The following two entries are correct: ws-drm2:~# zdump -v WET | grep 2005 WET Sun Mar 27 00:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Mar 27 00:59:59 2005 WET isdst=0 gmtoff=0 WET Sun Mar 27 01:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Mar 27 02:00:00 2005 WEST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 WET Sun Oct 30 00:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 01:59:59 2005 WEST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 WET Sun Oct 30 01:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 01:00:00 2005 WET isdst=0 gmtoff=0 ws-drm2:~# zdump -v Europe/London | grep 2005 Europe/London Sun Mar 27 00:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Mar 27 00:59:59 2005 GMT isdst=0 gmtoff=0 Europe/London Sun Mar 27 01:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Mar 27 02:00:00 2005 BST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 Europe/London Sun Oct 30 00:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 01:59:59 2005 BST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 Europe/London Sun Oct 30 01:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 01:00:00 2005 GMT isdst=0 gmtoff=0 ws-drm2:~# But GMT0BST is not: ws-drm2:~# zdump -v GMT0BST | grep 2005 GMT0BST Sun Apr 3 11:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Apr 3 11:59:59 2005 GMT isdst=0 gmtoff=0 GMT0BST Sun Apr 3 12:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Apr 3 13:00:00 2005 BST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 GMT0BST Sun Oct 30 10:59:59 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 11:59:59 2005 BST isdst=1 gmtoff=3600 GMT0BST Sun Oct 30 11:00:00 2005 UTC = Sun Oct 30 11:00:00 2005 GMT isdst=0 gmtoff=0 Julian Cable Project Manager, Transmission & Distribution, BBC World Service T: +44 (0)20 755 73651 F: + 44 (0)20 713 797559 Mob: +44(0) 77 399 20066 * Room 601 NE, Bush House, Strand, PO Box 76, London, WC2B 4PH http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice <http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice> http://www.bbc.co.uk/ This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately. Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received. Further communication will signify your consent to this.