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From: stachour@sctc.com (Paul Stachour)
Newsgroups: comp.databases,comp.software-eng,comp.infosystems
Subject: Re: Time Zones HELP!
Message-ID: <1991Apr6.021724.6578@sctc.com>
Date: 6 Apr 91 02:17:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: sctc.1991Apr6.021724.6578
References: <1991Apr5.103756.18982@news.cs.indiana.edu> <1991Apr5.234855.14441@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Organization: SCTC
Lines: 23


  The MIT/GE/ATT/Honeywell Multics system has, for almost 20 years,
kept everything concerning time in a GMT-reference format of 72 bits.
It is converted on input (by convert_date_to_binary_) and displayed
on output in the user's choice of time zones and languages.
This happens automatically in all programs, since each loged in
user has a characteristic "time zone" and "language" set by their
systems administrator and changeable by the user on a per-login basis.

   It's suprising what one can do when one haws ONE, dynmically-linked
(so never have multiple versions in 100 different applictions) reusable
routine.  And the variety of input forms and languages has grown over
the years, as have the variety of output forms and languages.

   I don't know if you can get the PL/I source, but you might ask
a friendly Multician.

   ...Paul

-- 
Paul Stachour          SCTC, 1210 W. County Rd E, Suite 100           
stachour@sctc.com          Arden Hills, MN  55112
                             [1]-(612) 482-7467