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<p><font face="monospace">I assume the main reason why Paul Eggert
wants to merge time zones is the fact there is less maintenance
work, if for example EU rules<br>
change not only regarding DST, but regarding the standard time.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">If something like this happens, multiple
zones have to be updated.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">Some years ago I developed my own patch
to zic.c to make it understand the new keyword 'follow'.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">That way, I can represent a zone which
deviates from a TZ "standard zone" before a certain date, and
then say 'follow standard zone' at the end<br>
of the zone data.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">I have completed that for several
countries, for example to represent the deviations from
Europe/Berlin within parts of Germany before 1949,<br>
or to represent the numerous deviations in France from
Europe/Paris.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">I attach two files which show the
application of the 'follow' keyword.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">Of course I will be happy to share the
patch to zic.c which enables it to process the follow keyword.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">As it is now, I apply my patch each time
an update of zic.c is published.</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">If the follow keyword is introduced into
the main distribution, it could be used for zones like<br>
Europe/Copenhagen <br>
which instead of being eliminated would become<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">Zone Europe/Copenhagen 0:50:20 -
LMT 1890<br>
0:50:20 - CMT 1894 Jan 1 #
Copenhagen MT<br>
1:00 Denmark CE%sT 1942 Nov 2
2:00s<br>
1:00 C-Eur CE%sT 1945 Apr 2
2:00<br>
1:00 Denmark CE%sT 1950<br>
0 follow Europe/Berlin<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="monospace">The information that Copenhagen is the
same as Berlin after 1949 would be there,<br>
as well as the original data.<br>
</font></p>
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