Rename "start_time_seconds" to "start_timestamp_seconds"?

[Fabian Stäber]

Hi,

Many Prometheus client libraries export a metric named "start_time_seconds", which is the timestamp when the application was started.

However, according to https://prometheus.io/docs/practices/naming/ the name should be "start_timestamp_seconds".

So, as the Java client will have breaking changes anyway, what do you think?

* Rename to be compliant with our naming best practices?

* Keep the name consistent with other client libraries?

Fabian

[Julius Volz]

Since that's a metric that is standardized across our client libraries, we should keep the existing name IMO. I'm also not sure if the naming doc is that clear on whether a timestamp necessarily has to be named "timestamp" vs. just "time". We also use just "time" in other places as well, like "node_boot_time_seconds" in the Node Exporter, or "container_start_time_seconds" (although that's not us, that's cAdvisor / k8s.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Prometheus Developers" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to prometheus-devel...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/prometheus-developers/CAPX310j1ym7-uDzFix%2BhgqZNFWUExS7G3DO9-p4mRjJRMavfXQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Julien Pivotto]

We should follow:

https://prometheus.io/docs/instrumenting/writing_clientlibs/#process-metrics

Regards

>
> Fabian
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Prometheus Developers" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to prometheus-devel...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/prometheus-developers/CAPX310j1ym7-uDzFix%2BhgqZNFWUExS7G3DO9-p4mRjJRMavfXQ%40mail.gmail.com.

--
Julien Pivotto
@roidelapluie

[Ben Kochie]

+1 to keeping consistent with the other libraries.

We should clarify the docs that `time` is an ok value in addition to `timestamp`.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/prometheus-developers/CA%2BT6Yozndh0%3DGBYNSt9VV%2BVPhxNLE2kRaLTQgXxJf7O8J44bEw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Fabian Stäber]

Thanks a lot Julien, tbh I wasn't aware of that table :) Thanks for pointing me to it.

[Kevin Wiesmueller]

Changing this would be a pretty problematic breaking change for consumers. We're heavily relying on this timestamp and if we get two different names from it depending on the client version that would require some adapting.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/prometheus-developers/CAPX310hBLj%2B9c%2BNGGrxvEtDFR2JKw6oM-QRzbrGvPiv%2B3Mr28Q%40mail.gmail.com.