Question 1
How do I represent dates and times?
Answer to Q1
Use the calendar_date and local_time entities (from STEP Part
41). An example physical file is shown below. Dates are represented
by three numbers (year, day, month). Times are represented by three
numbers (hour, minute, second) and an offset.
#1 = CALENDAR_DATE (1999, 21, 10);
#2 = COORDINATED_UNIVERSAL_TIME_OFFSET (1, $, .AHEAD.);
#3 = LOCAL_TIME (11, 39, 22.0, #2);
#4 = DATE_AND_TIME (#1, #3);
Question 2
What is the coordinated_universal_time_offset?
Answer to Q2
This is the time difference (offset) from coordinated universal
time. (Coordinated universal time is the same as Greenwich Mean Time.)
Question 3
Can we change the calendar?
Answer to Q2
No. Dates are given by three numbers (year, day, month) in
accordance with the Gregorian Calendar. The function valid_calendar_date
checks whether the numbers provided represent a valid date in the Gregorian
system (allowing for leap years).
Note: the year has to represented by a number greater than 1000.
Thus, two digit years are not allowed.
