[TYPO3-dev] DATETIME field without considering locale

[Christian Lerrahn]

Hi Berhard,
> > I've written an extension that uses 2 datetime fields. However, I'm
> > realizing that the locale of my client is always considered. The default
> > value is my current local time and whatever I enter will be considered a
> > time in my timezone. As the server is in a different timezone though and
> > the times and dates I enter shall show up the way I enter them, this is
> > very inconvenient. Is there a way to make an entered time in a datetime
> > filed absolute? Or can someone just point me to the specs of the array
> > properties of the field definitions? I searched the core references but
> > couldn't find anything that was suitable.
> 
> 
> Hello !
> 
> I had this problem with date fields where a birthday should get entered.
> Now it's the case if you sit for example in GMT+2 (Eastern europe) and enter
> a date like 20-10-1980 (my birthday :) it will get converted to a UNIX timestamp
> (which of course hasn't got any timezones) and transfered to the server which
> is in GMT+1. As at the timepoint of 0:0 20-10-1980 it is 23:00 19-10-1980 the date
> always showed up with one day before on the server.
> 
> I communicated this problem to the other core-dev's and there is a solution from
> me at:
> http://bugs.typo3.org/view.php?id=1697
> (bug_1697_2006-01-20_CVS.diff)
> 
> You can follow the discussion on the core list at:
> http://lists.netfielders.de/pipermail/typo3-team-core/2006-January/001364.html
> 
> 
> But this solution (I enter the date/times as I would be in the same timezone of the
> server) is in my opinion not always the best as for example if you are in a big
> international company it is questionable how the behaviour should be.
> 
> Exampl:
> Server in GMT+1 (Central Europe).
> Employe of BIC (Big international company) is in GMT+8 (Singapure). If he now enters
> a "News" for example he could probably want to input
> 12:00 06-01-2006 into the Date Field of the News and wants to get it converted to whatever
> this means in CET.
> It could also be required that an editor can choose in which timezone he "means" a value.
> In the FE it should be possible to set the timezone in which strftime outputs a value (normally
> it does it depending on the locale - but you can overcome this by adding +3600*n to the timestamp)
> 
> I would be really interested in discussing this.
> I can be found on #typo3 on irc.freenode.net (kraftb)
> or via ICQ: #113830220 (Krufti)

You're right with your considerations. But wouldn't the best solution be
to have 2 different kinds of DATETIME fields? On that's considering the
timezone and one that isn't?

Christian

P.S.: I'll try to catch you on IRC or ICQ but assuming that you're in
GMT+1 and I'm in GMT+11, that might take a while to work out. So
timezones are always a tricky thing ;-)

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