Oh yeah, we may as well go with ANSI.  The plugin is extremely easy to
use--it returns a 10-element array, with 5 elements each for UTC and
local date/time.  Should one of us merge this stuff with your ANSI code?
 I'm not sure I have the right tools to mess with these changesets you
have, but I'll update them if you point me in the right direction.

Note that we really do need a new time primitive; currently you can only
get local time or UTC, and not both.  Everybody's trick is to just stick
the UTC offset in a global variable, but this approach doesn't work when
either:

	1. daylight savings kicks in.
	2. an image gets shipped to somewhere in a different time zone.



-Lex



"R. A. Harmon" <harmonra at webname.com> wrote:
> At 05:05 PM 6/28/00 -700, "lex spoon" <lex at cc.gatech.edu> wrote:
> >Here are a pair of changesets that let Squeak discern local vs. UTC
> >time.  It adds one primitive, which returns both the local time and UTC
> >in parallel.  Squeak-level code can then interpret this information as
> >needed.
> >
> >The first changeset defines the primitive and a plugin that implements
> >it.  It should be fairly portable, but I've only tried it on Linux.  The
> >second changeset updates the Time class to use the new plugin when its
> >present, and it updates Celeste to make date stamps with it.
> >
> >How does this look to people?  It seems to allow the following basic
> >time functions, with a minimum of fuss:
> >
> >	1. Return a UTC time precise to the second.  This is useful when
> >Squeak's are talking to each other from different places in the world. 
> >It's also precisely what's needed for building a proper HTTP cache.
> >
> >	2. Return a local time precise to the second.  This is useful for clock
> >and calender displays.
> >
> >	3. Return a local time plus a delta from UTC.  This is what email is
> >happiest with.
> >
> >
> >
> >Is anything critical missing?  What else would people like to be able to
> >do with time?  If this looks good, let's put it in the main system.
> 
> I think the ANSI Date And Time protocol messages should do the above.  I've
> implemented in Squeak it along with all the ANSI messages except for Stream
> and FileStream protocols and maybe a couple Collection protocol messages.  
> 
> I've reworked the Camp Smalltalk ANSI tests for Squeak released by Ralph E.
> Johnson for my ANSI implementation.  The reworked version,
> ANSIChgSeta02r01Sqkv02r07.ZIP, containing Squeak ANSI messages, tests, and
> support is now available at my web page:
>  
>          http://homepage2.rconnect.com/raharmon/
> 
> 
> I think Squeak Central is looking at incorporating the ANSI messages in the
> standard release.  I think it might be a more portable and easier route to
> use the ANSI messages for doing the time stuff above.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Richard A. Harmon          "The only good zombie is a dead zombie"
> harmonra at webname.com           E. G. McCarthy
> Spencer, Iowa