[tz] Stable fixed length identifiers for IANA time zones

[Tobias Conradi]

Below is a complete mapping of identifiers from timezone.xml into a
5-char set of identifiers that produces strings that are distinct from
UN/LOCODEs per

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/cefact/locode/unlocode_manual.pdf
3.2.1 "However, where all permutations available for a country have
been exhausted, the numerals 2-9 may also be used."

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 9:59 PM, Tobias Conradi
<tobias.conradi at gmail.com> wrote:
> Steven, Mark,
>
> I checked the latest timezone.xml contained in core.zip linked from
> http://cldr.unicode.org/index/bcp47-extension
...
> Since UN/LOCODE doesn't use the numbers 0 and 1, I created private
> codes using "1" in third position, so for Santa Isabel I would use
>
> MX1SI or in lower case mx1si
>
> for Hebron PS1HB, Gaza PS1GZ
>
> That way the codes all can be of the same length, namely 5 characters.

The utc based codes could be converted to 5 char too, replacing utc with zz:
utce01 -> zze01
utcw12 -> zzw12

UTC itself could be:
utc -> zz000

Unkown could be:
unk -> zzunk or zz1un

The use of 0 and 1 ensure there is no clash with UN/LOCODEs.

Here are some more possible mappings for identifiers that are not 5 char long:
usndnsl -> usnqy (UN/LOCODE USNQY)
usndcnt -> uszt8 (UN/LOCODE USZT8)

Handmade codes using "1" and as of assignment using the correct ISO
3166-1 alpha-2 code:
gaza -> ps1gz
gldkshvn -> gl1dm
hebron -> ps1hb
jeruslm -> il1jr
mxstis -> mx1si
usnavajo -> us1nv
usinvev -> us1vv

That would leave only four US specific codes:
cst6cdt
est5edt
mst7mdt
pst8pdt

In case they could be changed, they could be:
us1c6
us1e5
us1m7
us1p8

-- 
Tobias Conradi
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10115 Berlin
Germany

http://tobiasconradi.com/