On Wed, Jan 04, 2017 at 12:32:23AM +0100, Philip Homburg wrote:
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an IETF equivalent for operating
systems, so it will be completely random whether anything will happen in
this area or not.
There's no reason that the IETF could not a) define an abstract time API
that includes time "types" ({UTC, TAI, local, smeared, whatever} x
{various possible representations}), conversions between them, and
behaviors, then b) define bindings of this API for various programming
languages. The Open Group, to give one example, could take our advice
on this matter -- or not; they'd not be obligated, natch.
The IETF has done this for other networking technologies (sockets
extensions for IPv6, GSS-API, ...).
Because our protocols must deal with time, this is very much in our
bailiwick. It also fits in other SDOs, but as none have published such
a spec, we might lead.
Any RFC on smeared time surely would at least define a subset of this
abstract API for conversions to/from UTC. We might as well go all the
way.
Nico
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