[Info-vax] VMS Software Bootcamp 2024

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2024-09-25 00:58:18 +0000, Arne Vajhøj said:

> On 9/19/2024 8:22 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> 
>> VMS date/time formats are much more readable, but the main problem with 
>> VMS timekeeping is that it doesn't have a local timezone offset from a 
>> base GMT/UTC timepoint built into it.
> 
> What is SYS$TIMEZONE_DIFFERENTIAL then?

A nice rug atop a pile of poo.

>> Unix got this right and VMS did not.
> 
> VMS did not get it right in 1978 - VMS got it almost right in 1993.

Having been in the related debates, compatibility blocked the fix.

Having most timestamps implicitly shift by -12 to +14 hours (IIRC) was 
viewed as intractable for compatibility.

So we got a nice rug. Which still has issues.


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