[Python-Dev] Add UTC to 2.7 (PyCon sprint idea)

[Lennart Regebro]

On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 07:27, Stuart Bishop <stuart at stuartbishop.net> wrote:
>> In any case, since you want to make a version that can be included and
>> uses the timezone API, I guess that's a moot question until we have
>> that version. :)
>
> As I understand it dateutil pretty much already provides what I'm describing.

Well, pretty much yes. I don't know how good it is at using the system
data without an Olsen database, but it shouldn't be too much work to
add that, I guess. But that changes the topic from moving pytz to
stdlib into moving dateutil.tz into stdlib.  :)

Personally I like pytz "anal" timezone support though, and dateutil.tz
doesn't have that, and I still think it would be possible to have both
in one system, but using different API-calls.

Also, people have uttered negativities about datetime.tz, but they
have never been able to say what they don't like about it.

I would like if we could look into making a timezone module that works
on Python 2.5 to 3.2 that uses system data, unless there is also a
"Olsen module" installed, and that has all the features of both
dateutil.tz and pytz, ie:

1. Support for the standard API.
2. A Pytz extended API.
3. Using the system data.
4. Using a separate Olsen database installable by normal Python means.
5. Perhaps a timezone name alias map? That could map both old Olsen
names and Windows names.

-- 
Lennart Regebro: Python, Zope, Plone, Grok
http://regebro.wordpress.com/
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