[tz] Some rules in tz specification files seem to be applied (by zic) outside of their declared period of applicability

[Brian Inglis]

On 2019-01-16 19:10, Parsifal Herzog wrote:
> On 2019-01-16 4:41 a.m., Michael H Deckers wrote:
> Before I do that, perhaps it would be helpful if you know the context
> in which my question arose: I have a program which parses the
> Olsen Tz data base textual specification, and produces time tables,
> as does zic. The context is in handling worldwide historical dates
> and times, so that other issues such as Gregorian/Julian transitions
> need to be accounted for.

> Recently there have been changes to the zone file specifications,
> such as negative dst and times, so while changing my program to
> accommodate these, I noticed that it was inserting standard time
> transitions in periods where no applicable zone Rule existed.

> In this specific case I am using, I am asking: Where in the
> timezone specification of the Africa/Windhoek zone is it written
> that the abbreviation is changed from "SAST" to "CAT" as of
> Wed Mar 21 1990?

> As I interpret the zic manual page, the Zone line
>     2:00    -    SAST    1990 Mar 21 # independence
> Specifies that as of 1990 Mar 21, midnight, the gmtoffset = 2:00,
> dst save = 0, and the timezone abbreviation = SAST, is no longer
> in effect. As of that time, the next Zone line:
>         2:00    Namibia    %s
> comes into effect. This specifies that the gmtoffset shall be 2 hours,
> as of 1990 March 20 midnight, and that from that time onwards, one or
> more of the rules named "Namibia" will be applied according to their
> respective periods of applicability to determine changes of
> dst offset and timezone abbreviation, and when they will occur.

> Here again, for this example, are all of those rules:
> Rule    Namibia    1994    only    -    Mar    21          0:00 -1:00    WAT
> Rule    Namibia    1994    2017    -    Sep    Sun>=1      2:00  0       CAT
> Rule    Namibia    1995    2017    -    Apr    Sun>=1      2:00 -1:00    WAT
> As I read it, according to the zic manual page, NONE of these rules apply to the
> years 1990 through 1993. So the dst offset and abbreviation are undefined in
> those years. Yet zic, by some unspecified logic, has chosen the second rule,
> and entered the transition (according to zdump):
> Africa/Windhoek  Tue Mar 20 22:00:00 1990 UT =
>             Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 1990 CAT isdst=0 gmtoff=7200

> So, what is this (so its seems to me) unspecified logic?
> This might read something like:
>     During a time period where there is no applicable rule,
>     the dst offset shall be ____
>     and the time zone abbreviation shall be _____.
> Where _____ is the answer I am looking for.

The rearguard format fills in the blanks for non-zic compliant processors, but
it appears that zic looks at the next rule for the same STD/DST offset or state
and uses that abbreviation.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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