Re: code proposal: localization of currency, ...

No, the autotimezone module automatically sets the timezone
offset
using a fairly simple bit of javascript to automatically
update the
timezone offset in the user record. I'm talking about the
timezone
name. There is no javascript-only way to identify and set
the timezone
name from browser information. In fact, I spent quite a bit
of time researching how to do it
since the common wisdom is that it can't be done at all. But
I
finally stumbled on a way to do it with a combination of
javascript and
PHP5 by building on some example code from a presentation
made by Derick Rethans (the
maintainer of the PHP5 date functions).







Plus, to do anything useful with the user timezone name, you
also have
to overload the site and user timezone settings to select
and store the
timezone
name instead of the offset, and to do that you have to have
a way to
manipulate timezone names and offsets to present the
selection list.
And then of course you need new ways of manipulating dates
that use the
timezone name instead of the offset to do timezone
conversions. 



I put this in the Date API because it all works together --
you need the
PHP5 date functions or their equivalents to detect and store
the timezone name,
and you need a different way of handling dates to do
anything useful and reliable with the timezone name once you
have it.




 

I can propose patches for the autotimezone module, but they
would be
radical changes to the way the module works. It would have
to be
something like a completely new version of the module that
requires
PHP5, that both updates the offset as is done now for
backwards
compatibility with with old-style date handling but which
also detects
and stores the timezone name for applications that can use
that
information. And it would have to overload the user and site
timezone
handling forms to list and store timezone names instead of
offsets. And autotimezone would then become a required
module for any application that wants to use PHP5 date
handling or store timezone names in user records.



If it seems like this belongs in autotimezone, I can propose
patches to it.





Karen




----- Original Message ----
From: Moshe Weitzman <weitzmantejasa.com>
To: developmentdrupal.org
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 7:18:17 PM
Subject: Re: [development] code proposal: localization of
currency, ...


karen - I suspect you have reimplemented autotimezone
module -
http://drupal
.org/project/autotimezone. if you have any
improvements,
consider posting them in its issue queue.

Oh thanks, I get it now ... No, please ignore my mumblings.
Keep this
code in date api or wherever you deem best. Autotimezone
shou;d just
drift away and point to your work.

On 10/22/07, Karen Stevenson <karenelderweb.com> wrote:
> No, the autotimezone module automatically sets the
timezone offset
> using a fairly simple bit of javascript to
automatically update the
> timezone offset in the user record. I'm talking about
the timezone
> name. There is no javascript-only way to identify and
set the timezone
> name from browser information. In fact, I spent quite a
bit of time researching how to do it
> since the common wisdom is that it can't be done at
all. But I
> finally stumbled on a way to do it with a combination
of javascript and
> PHP5 by building on some example code from a
presentation made by Derick Rethans (the
> maintainer of the PHP5 date functions).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Plus, to do anything useful with the user timezone
name, you also have
> to overload the site and user timezone settings to
select and store the
> timezone
> name instead of the offset, and to do that you have to
have a way to
> manipulate timezone names and offsets to present the
selection list.
> And then of course you need new ways of manipulating
dates that use the
> timezone name instead of the offset to do timezone
conversions.
>
>
>
> I put this in the Date API because it all works
together -- you need the
> PHP5 date functions or their equivalents to detect and
store the timezone name,
> and you need a different way of handling dates to do
anything useful and reliable with the timezone name once you
have it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I can propose patches for the autotimezone module, but
they would be
> radical changes to the way the module works. It would
have to be
> something like a completely new version of the module
that requires
> PHP5, that both updates the offset as is done now for
backwards
> compatibility with with old-style date handling but
which also detects
> and stores the timezone name for applications that can
use that
> information. And it would have to overload the user and
site timezone
> handling forms to list and store timezone names instead
of offsets. And autotimezone would then become a required
module for any application that wants to use PHP5 date
handling or store timezone names in user records.
>
>
>
> If it seems like this belongs in autotimezone, I can
propose patches to it.
>
>
>
>
>
> Karen
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Moshe Weitzman <weitzmantejasa.com>
> To: developmentdrupal.org
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 7:18:17 PM
> Subject: Re: [development] code proposal: localization
of currency, ...
>
>
> karen - I suspect you have reimplemented autotimezone
module -
> http://drupal
.org/project/autotimezone. if you have any
improvements,
> consider posting them in its issue queue.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>