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Replace localtime() and gmtime() with date() and utcdate()
Maintainer: Nathan Wiger <nate@wiger.org> Date: 5 Aug 2000 Last Modified: 25 Sep 2000 Mailing List: perl6-language-datetime@perl.org Number: 48 Version: 4 Status: Frozen Requires: RFC 21, RFC 159
Currently, Perl uses the C library localtime() and gmtime()
functions for date access. However, because of many problems, these
should be replaced with two new functions, date() and
utcdate() that will be called as follows:
$object = date; # object with accessor functions (new) print "$object"; # scalar ctime date, same as current @array = date; # list of date/time values (new order) %hash = date; # hash of date/time values (new)
The new date() function will return time adjusted for the local
timezone. The utcdate() function will return time in UTC. In a scalar
context, an object is always returned. This object is then converted to
a string on-demand via RFC 159: True Polymorphic Objects.
Everyone felt pretty good about this, I think. The only thing we'd all
probably like to see is one single date function, but unfortunately
dealing with timezone specifications is an extraordinarily difficult
issue.
In the past, Perl has provided access to date and time information
through the C library localtime() and gmtime() functions.
Unfortunately, these functions have several "really bad things" about
them:
1. some values are 0-indexed while others are 1-indexed 2. they return massive lists as their only interface 3. minute and second values aren't 0-padded 4. the year has to have 1900 added to it to be correct.
While some of these are perhaps understandable, that last one just plain doesn't make any sense. :-)
With Perl 6 we have the chance to fix this. While some have suggested
merely changing what localtime() and gmtime() return, this is a
bad idea because:
1. Many Perl scripts already use it 2. Many C programmers are familiar with its stupidity
As such, we should replace these functions with versions that work the way that we want them to. The new names will indicate that these are "not the same old time functions", and that you'd better read the docs.
The new syntax of date() and utcdate is proposed as:
$|@|%return = date [ $time ], [ $format ];
If $time is not specified, then the current return value from
time() is used (just like localtime()).
The optional $format affects the format of the date returned. By
default, a ctime-formatted string is used, like localtime. However,
any POSIX-compatible format can be passed in, in which case the date
returned in a scalar context is formatted accordingly.
Actually, what it does is call the object function setformat()
with the format, which in turn determines what calls to the date()
object member function look like. Since the date() member function
is what is output when the date object is stringified, this is how
the scalar date appears to change. See below.
The $format specifier is the same one used in POSIX strftime(),
allowing complete date formatting with having to import the POSIX
module.
Depending on the context within which date() is called, many
different things are returned:
# Get some various local date stuff $object = date; # scalar ctime date, same as now $object = date time, '%m/%d/%Y'; # set date MM/DD/YYYY format $object = date $time; # relative to time $time print "$object"; # scalar date string per format @array = date; # array of date/time values %hash = date; # hash of values # Access UTC information $object = utcdate time, '%H:%M'; # return time in UTC
The return values are dependent on the context within which date() is
called. For all contexts, the following are the values and their ranges:
$hour = 0 .. 23 $min = 00 .. 59 # 0-padded $sec = 00 .. 59 # 0-padded $fsec = 0 .. 1 # fractional seconds per hw clock $month = 1 .. 12 # hooray! $day = 1 .. 31 $year = 1 .. 9999 # 4-digit! $wday = 1 .. 7 # 1 == *Monday*, POSIX-compliant $yday = 1 .. 366 $isdst = 1 or undef; # daylight savings? $isgmt = 1 or undef; # is GMT? $tz = [depends on your system, this "eats people"]
For those who are concerned about $wday not being 0-indexed, please see below under the object methods. Remember you can always use formats to return what you want as well.
In a STRING (not scalar) context, a single ctime-formatted date
string is returned, consistent with the current usage of localtime().
If the optional $format is included, this format is used to change
the string accordingly.
In order to emulate a string, a call is made to the date object's
builtin STRING function, which prints out a date string. This is per
RFC 159: True Polymorphic Objects.
A list of date/time values is returned. The ordering and format of these values has been radically changed to reflect what most of us probably view as "ordinary":
($year, $month, $day, $hour, $min, $sec, $tz) = date;
You'll note that many elements, such as $isdst, $wday, and $yday have been dropped from the list return context. This is to encourage the use of more sane contexts, such as object and hash/hashrefs for complex operations.
This ordering follows the predictable pattern of being in increasing granularity and so should be easy to remember. Just think of a computer-esque decending timestamp:
2000/11/4 12:03:09
Note that the month, day, and year are not 0-padded. If you want a padded date, perhaps as a file backup suffix, you'll have to say:
$backup_suffix = date time, '%Y%m%d%H%M%S';
Which would return something like "20001104120309" (actually, it would return an object with the appropriate default format so that, when stringified, it would yield the above result).
These same values can be retrieved when referred to as an arrayref, so these two:
$month = (date)[1];
$month = date->[1];
Have the same effect. Now, of course, if you want specific values you should be using...
A hash of values is returned. These are named the same as the variables above. So,
%date = date;
Would return a hash with these values (assuming the same date shown above):
$date{year} = 2000;
$date{month} = 11;
$date{day} = 4;
$date{hour} = 12;
$date{min} = 03;
$date{sec} = 09;
$date{fsec} = 0.4291; # up to hw resolution
$date{wday} = 2;
$date{yday} = 331;
$date{tz} = 'PST'; # or maybe 'US/Pacific', or ...
$date{isdst} = undef;
These same values will be available via a HASHREF, so again these:
$month = ${(date)}{month};
$month = date->{month};
Will work the same (at least, I think that first one's right per RFC 21)...
In an SCALAR context, an object is returned. This is somewhat adapted
from Time::Object and Larry's own comments, but with several key
differences. The ones noted with * are incompatible with Time::Object
$t = date; # create date object
"$t" # calls $t->STRING, same as $t->date
$t++ # calls $t->NUMBER, same as $t->time
$t->year
$t->month # *
$t->day # *
$t->hour
$t->min
$t->sec
$t->fsec # fractional seconds
$t->fsecres # fsec resolution (num of digits for hw)
$t->wday # *
$t->yday
$t->isdst
$t->tz
$t->tzoffset # timezone offset in seconds ($t->tzsec?)
$t->time # number of seconds since the epoch, so it
# contains what time() was when you called
# date()
These functions are object-specific:
$t->date # Tue Feb 29 01:23:45 2000 (depending on
# default format set by $t->setformat)
$t->date(FORMAT) # Return a temporarily-modified date,
# without affecting the default format.
$t->setformat(FORMAT) # Set default format which determines what
# calls to $t->date (stringified $t) look like
# This is called on object creation
These functions are separate for an important reason:
print $t->date('%H:%M'); # prints out hours and minutes
print "$t"; # without touching default format
$oldfmt = $t->setformat('%Y'); # sets POSIX fmt string
print "$t"; # which affects the default format
The set prefix was explicitly added to make it obvious this sets
something (rather than just formatting the date like strftime).
Many functions were deemed of dubious quality/excessive bloat and were all removed from the RFC. Note that you can get to any extra data by calling $t->date with the correct format. So,
print $t->date('%w');
Will give you the weekday numbered starting with 0 == Sunday.
You'll note that simple date arithmetic is available via polymorphic overloading in numeric contexts. For example:
$t1 = date; $t2 = date; $diff = $t2 - $t1; # calls ->NUMBER (->time) on both
The result will simply be the difference in seconds between the two, in simple scalar form (i.e., "15"). The result is designed to be the same as if you had created $t1 and $t2 based on the output of time(), without requiring you to put extra calls in your code. To simply increment the date by one second each loop, do:
$d = date;
while (stuff()) {
$d++;
}
This gives the basis from which more complex date arithmetic can be derived, which should be in a module.
Slash and burn localtime() and gmtime(). Actually, we should
probably move them to Time::Local or some other place and keep them
available, since some people like pain.
Nonetheless, localtime() and gmtime() SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM CORE
and placed in a module. Perl 6 should support ONE date/time interface
natively.
Extensive date calculations, including reverse date calculations, should be left to an external module.
I am currently working on a Perl 5 prototype and will announce it to the list when it is completed.
Jonathan Scott Duff, Tim Jenness, Johan Vromans, Buddha Buck, and lots of other members of perl6-language for great feedback.
Russ Allbery and John Tobey for suggesting parts to slice-and-dice.
Larry Wall's post of 8 Jan 2000 on deprecating localtime: www.xray.mpe.mpg.de
RFC 159: True Polymorphic Objects
RFC 21: Replace wantarray() with a generic want() function
RFC 37: Positional Return Lists Considered Harmful
Matt Sergeant's great Time::Object CPAN module