From 1e75b31fa9d110aeb2ed5fa13bed5f5c8ec633e8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Eggert Date: Thu, 2 May 2024 11:30:15 -0700 Subject: [PROPOSED] Document what %s means before any rule applies Problem reported by Jonathan Wakely in: https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/2024-April/058889.html * zic.8: Document behavior for timestamps before earliest rule. --- zic.8 | 14 +++++++++----- 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/zic.8 b/zic.8 index 1649a760..0290f602 100644 --- a/zic.8 +++ b/zic.8 @@ -561,9 +561,9 @@ The name of the rules that apply in the timezone or, alternatively, a field in the same format as a rule-line SAVE column, giving the amount of time to be added to local standard time and whether the resulting time is standard or daylight saving. -If this field is +Standard time applies if this field is .B \*- -then standard time always applies. +or for timestamps occurring before any rule takes effect. When an amount of time is given, only the sum of standard time and this amount matters. .TP @@ -571,9 +571,13 @@ this amount matters. The format for time zone abbreviations. The pair of characters .B %s -is used to show where the -.q "variable part" -of the time zone abbreviation goes. +shows where to put the time zone abbreviation's variable part, +which is taken from the +.B LETTER/S +field of the corresponding rule; +any timestamps that precede the earliest rule use the +.B LETTER/S +of the earliest standard-time rule (which in this case must exist). Alternatively, a format can use the pair of characters .B %z to stand for the UT offset in the form -- 2.40.1