[tz] Terminology mismatch in tzcode file format manpage / header

Steve Allen sla at ucolick.org
Thu May 17 23:10:57 UTC 2012


On Thu 2012-05-17T18:47:14 -0400, Andrew Paprocki hath writ:
> This presents a naming conflict because technically GMT and UTC are
> two different things. I find the inconsistent naming creeping into
> functions which deal with the file format. I would like to prevent
> variations of the string "GMT" from winding up in API names since the
> definition of the field refers to UTC.
>
> I propose wholesale replacing of the "isgmt" substring in tzcode files
> with "isutc" so that the file format fields are named consistently
> with their definition. If absolutely necessary, a #define can be used
> in tzfile.h so that code referencing tzh_ttisgmtcnt will still
> compile.

For this particular nomenclature issue the ITU-R Radiocommunication
Assembly and the World Radio Conference failed to achieve consensus
at their meetings earlier this year.  Their result is the text
Resolution 653 (WRC-12)
which has become
WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.14
as seen here
http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=study-groups&rlink=rcpm-wrc-15-studies&lang=en#{8259A74D-6541-475F-846C-5255C5EA3FCD}

Given the unclear outcome of the ITU-R process I recommend stability
rather than change for this issue, at least until the outcomes from
RA-15 and WRC-15 are known.

--
Steve Allen                 <sla at ucolick.org>                WGS-84 (GPS)
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