Re: Which datasets use BST and which only use GMT?

[Henry Ford]

Hi,

All times from DataPoint are UTC or Z, none are GMT or BST.

You should use a timezone handling library to localise your times.
Avoid manipulating times for display yourself using hours offset as this will be difficult to test.

Where you use timezones, the UK would be defined as "London/Europe" which is as involved as you need to be. You won't even have to code for the GMT/BST change!

Thanks
Henry

On Wednesday, 10 June 2015 18:19:33 UTC+1, Henry Hunt wrote:

In an application that I am writing currently, I have assumed from the start that the data uses BST times (ie, moves an hour forward during summer time) so have written code to compensate for this by adding an hour to all times from datapoint data when downloaded so they appear correct to users. However, I am now beginning to wonder if all datasets actually do use BST. It started with the visible satellite layer which I noticed has the same timestamps written on it during BST as GMT does (3,6,9 not 4,7,10 which I thought would be used instead) and this got me thinking because I would expect the data itself to be correct (is the visible satellite image taken at 3,6,9 o'clock or 4,7,10 o'clock, which is correct?). This is also the same with the forecast layers which have a default time at quarter hours not quarter+1 hours, however I know (at least I think I know) that the observation radar images should have an hour added to their times because the times are for real time data. And this happens so on with the surface pressure forecast charts with their timestamps reading the 12 hours and I have them displaying for the user to select at 13 hours.

Would it be possible for you to list which datasets need to have an hour added to their times after being downloaded during BST and which can just be displayed unmodified? Should I be adding extra hours to datasets which have GMT hours stamped on them? I have added an image to show you what I mean. Thanks, Henry