Re: 00:00:00 or 24:00:00

[qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Peter.Colpaert wrote:

>    1. 00:00:00 or 24:00:00 (Peter.Colpaert)
>
> One of our processes involves parsing a directory listing of a windows 
> shared drive, and there are 6 files which cause problems.
>
> These files have an entry in the listing as follows:
>
> 01/01/2000  12:00a             438,082 GN0229084.JPG
>
> The listing is parsed by two different programs (one made by me, the other 
> made several years ago by another developer).
>
> His program (using pre-bif methods) returns the time as 00:00:00, whereas 
> mine (using the %time built-in function) returns 24:00:00
>
> First of all, I'd like to know whether January 1, 2000 00:00:00 is the 
> same as January 1, 2000 24:00:00 (I would think that the latter actually 
> means January 2).

(I know, this was beaten into the ground; but I gotta add my opinion 
after just getting back...)

My purely personal opinion is that hour '24' cannot be valid. Hour 
'24' implies that hour '24' has minutes '00' through '59' and the 
time '24:15' doesn't exist. True, the implication is a logical one, 
not enforced by standards. But programming should have a logical 
foundation. (Ignoring Daylight Saving Time, leap-years, etc., since 
we need to handle all special cases as... "special cases" anyway.)

Also, when comparing hours with minutes or seconds, why would anyone 
expect hours to range up to '24', but minute '60' and second '60' 
wouldn't be allowed? Minutes and seconds start at '00', so hours 
should be consistent. Is '24:60:60' a valid time? If so, what time 
is it?

IMO, hour '24' ought to be tossed onto the heap of discarded 
nonsense. Much like division by zero...

Also, "12noon" must be /neither/ AM nor PM. The conceptual use of 
'AM' is 'before noon' (ante meridiem) and 'PM' is 'after noon' (post 
meridiem). "Noon" can be neither 'before' nor 'after' "noon". 
Similarly, "12midnight" is 'special'. "Noon" is not part of the 
morning nor part of the afternoon; it is the point that marks the 
boundary between them. (Is your property line part of your property? 
or your neighbor's?) But I'm totally lost on what that means. Sigh.

Purely opinion, not based upon expertise with standards.

Tom Liotta