[DALI] timestamp format

[Patrick Dowler]

On 11/06/2013 12:09 PM, Steve Allen wrote:
> If I recall correctly the discussions leading to the FITS Y2K
> agreement explicitly wanted to prevent the complexities of
> timezone interpretation from entering the FITS standard.
> The first choice is the one that was made, specifically noting
> that it is only a subset of ISO8601.

Not sure I follow. I agree with the goal of removing tz complexity from 
the situation I do not understand* why one would not just include the Z 
(always) and thus actually comply to the ISO8601 spec. To not include 
the Z, one cannot say this is a subset of ISO861, where that spec says 
subset (profile) means "one of the allowed forms, with the same 
meaning". What we seem to have is one of the allowed forms, with a 
different meaning. At least that's how I read the meaning/intent of 
ISO8601...


* aside from backwards compatibility with FITS usage



-- 

Patrick Dowler
Canadian Astronomy Data Centre
National Research Council Canada
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