zic

[dpatte]

Hi

Do you have a patched version of zic in order to test and visualize
your results?

If not I may be able to help. I have built my own tz compiler, and may
be able to modify it to support your new file format. I could then
produce a special version of my free product Time Zone Master which
would visually allow you to explore the results of your efforts.

Time Zone Master is a windows product that lets you explore time info
for any date&location back to the introduction of the Gregorian
calendar, fully recognizing the olsen tz regions. But for most
locations, it of course only recognizes the tz timezone rules, which
primarily only go back to 1970.

I hope to use your files as part of Time Zone Master in the future, so
this will be on my development path anyway.

[Alois Treindl]

Dear David

I believe in the power and extreme usefulness of open source.

If you have your own tz compiler:
- I wonder why, as zic does the job of getting from text tables to
binary zone files very well. Compiling the text sources is only needed
once for every new release of tzdata; in daily life, applications
certainly should read binary zone files.
- if you want help with your tz compiler, are you going to put it under
an open source license? I cannot really spend time with supporting
non-opensource projects

The same applies for your 'free' Time zone Master product. Is it free
like free beer, or free like freedom? I mean, is it open source so that
other can see what you are doing and use your techniques as well, or is
it just a freeby but closed Windows tool. The latter makes it much less
interesting, as one does not know what it actually does.

Alois

[dpatte]

Hi

I too use alot of open source, and contribute to it.

Im not asking for help with my tz compiler at all. I'm simply offering
to provide a tool to the group that may help you validate your
changes. I can quickly alter it for your needs (adding the 'follow'
logic) without having to branch zic.

The compiler is built into TZM. This means that TZM reads and displays
results from the tzdata sourcefiles directly without producing interim
tzdata binaries. It transparently shows clock adjustments contained
within new tzdata files, updating itself from the web, whenever they
are released.

It was simply a suggestion that my tool might be of help to the group.
If you would prefer to use other tools to validate your efforts, thats
certainly your choice.