Contributing Advent 21: Timezone database
Timezones have always been a pain, and Daylight Saving(s) time does not make it a lot easier. Then of course you have governments that decide to change the rules. Often that is done nicely in advance, but once in a while the rule changes are announced at the absolutely last moment, or, sometimes even after the new rules have come into effect. To track the craziness, have a look at Time Zone News, and this image to see how many different rules there are!
The changes to rules, and the changes to them are tracked by a group of volunteers that maintain the Olson TZ Database, named after the now retired David Arthur Olson. Every so often a new release is made through IANA's website. The last change happened last Tuesday, and hopefully this is the last release of this year.
The Olson TZ Database is used by a whole lot of software stacks, for example by almost every Unix system, but there are also implementations for languages. There is Yoda time for Java, and PHP's DateTime support also uses the Olson database to be able to calculate the correct local time.
Because the PHP release cycle can not keep up with the releases of the Olson database, you can update the rule set in PHP by installing newer versions of the timezonedb PECL extension, which closely follows releases of the Olson database.
As I am the maintainer of PHP's DateTime support, I am also responsible for keeping the database, and it's accompanying PECL extension up-to-date. With the latest release available through the PECL extension, websites such as http://time.is can then show you the latest, and correct, local time.
Comments
You linked "Yoda time"[sic!] to PHP's datetime URL. Did you mean http://www.joda.org/joda-time/ ...?
Indeed, I've fixed it!
Life Line
Updated an alcohol shop
Updated 2 benches
Created a bench; Updated a bench
I hiked 19.0km in 4h35m50s
I hiked 19.0km in 4h35m50s
I walked 6.8km in 1h15m36s
Updated an estate_agent office
I walked 4.1km in 55m33s
I walked 1.1km in 10m05s
My First Lapwing!
I went to the London Wetland Centre yesterday, for a day out in nature.
While hiding in a hide, this chap and a friend showed up starting to forage for grubs.
#BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #Photography #Birds #London #Nature
Created a waste_basket; Updated a cafe and a restaurant; Confirmed an estate_agent office
I walked 6.6km in 1h8m53s
@bennuttall Are you at the Crucible this year again?
I walked 9.7km in 5h29m12s
Updated a gate
Staring Contest with a Squirrel
On my walk on the weekend, I sat down on a tree branch of a tree that had fallen over some time ago. Just listening to the birds.
Then after hearing rustling in the foliage above me, I looked up, and saw this chap staring at me.
#London #Photography #Nature #HampsteadHeath
I walked 3.0km in 41m38s
I walked 1.1km in 12m20s
Bluebell Carpet
I had a lovely walk on Hampstead Heath yesterday, finding all the nooks and crannies away from the busy paths.
This field of bluebells under the colourful tree was a stand-out quiet spot.
#London #Photography #Nature #HampsteadHeath
I walked 2.3km in 21m51s
Fix paths
Created a memorial
Created a bench
@Edent Seems like my Android stopped sending coordinates to @openbenches as well, which is surprising as I haven't updated anything as far as I'm aware. Could it be a problem with the reader in your side after the latest changes and the addition of the warning?
I walked 5.8km in 2h15m45s
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