Re: proposals for log file format changes

Kevin 'Kev' Hughes (kevinh@eit.COM)
Tue, 8 Feb 1994 19:35:27 --100

> Tony Sanders <sanders@BSDI.COM> writes:
>
> I write:
>
> > So now the format would be
> >
> > host rfc931 authuser [DD/Mon/YYYY:hh:mm:ss TTT] ``request'' ddd bbbb
> >
> > ...where TTT is the local timezone?
>
> I think you have it backwards, it's well known how to go from GMT to a
> given timezone (and the software to do so is freely available), however,
> given just a TTT it is *impossible* to get back to GMT. If you insist on
> localtime (which I think is a bad idea personally, however, this is up to
> the server) then at least use a numeric timezone (e.g., -0600).

BTW, does anyone have pointers to generic C code I can use to do this?
Without using time.h functions or calling shell commands?
I agree that GMT time all over the place is a good thing, while
it is easier for webmasters to look at things in local time. As long as
web walkers, log analyzers, and other beasts that may depend on log entries
know how to recognize and convert the times if needed, that's fine with me.
More or less following RFC 822, then:

host rfc931 authuser [DD/Mon/YYYY:hh:mm:ss UT[+/-]HHMM] "request" ddd bbbb

How's that?

-- Kevin

--
Kevin Hughes * kevinh@eit.com
Enterprise Integration Technologies Webmaster (http://www.eit.com/)
Hypermedia Industrial Designer * Duty now for the future!