Re: BUG #4100: GMT offsets are wrong

Peter Coxhead wrote:
>
> The following bug has been logged online:
>
> Bug reference: 4100
> Logged by: Peter Coxhead
> Email address: pdcoxhead(at)gmail(dot)com
> PostgreSQL version: 7.4
> Operating system: Linux
> Description: GMT offsets are wrong
> Details:
>
> I find the results to selecting the time in a GMT offset are
> backwards, so
>
> SET TIME ZONE "GMT+10:00";
> SELECT NOW();
>
> gives "2008-04-07 16:23:28.877908-10" which is a time in the western
> hemisphere and
>
> SET TIME ZONE "GMT-10:00";
> SELECT NOW();
>
> "2008-04-08 12:27:27.268616+10"
>
> gives a time in the eastern hemisphere. The time zone I was trying
> to get was Australia/Brisbane time (GMT+10:00 i.e. 01:00 in London =
> 11:00 GMT+10:00).
>
> I think I checked this on an 8.2 version of postgres with the same
> results (and was mildly surprised to see it still there).
>
> Let me know if I'm doing something daft, I don't think I am though.

I think you're being bitten by the stupid rules of POSIX timezones.
They declare + as being west of GMT, and - as east. Which is not what
you'd expect, but it's what the standard says.

> PS I know there's an 'Australia/Brisbane' time zone I can use

Yup, that's the one that would give you what you'd expect...

//Magnus