Ambiguous language in Table 8.13. Special Date/Time Inputs

From: PG Doc comments form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org>
To: pgsql-docs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org
Cc: adh(at)sanger(dot)ac(dot)uk
Subject: Ambiguous language in Table 8.13. Special Date/Time Inputs
Date: 2019-07-08 10:07:59
Message-ID: 156258047907.1181.11324468080514061996@wrigleys.postgresql.org
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-docs

The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:

Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/11/datatype-datetime.html
Description:

In Table 8.13. Special Date/Time Inputs, the description for the special
values 'today', 'tomorrow' and 'yesterday' uses the word 'midnight' e.g. the
special value 'today' is defined as 'midnight today'. I propose that the
word 'midnight' is ambiguous, because it can be interpreted either as
midnight at the start of the day in question, or midnight at the end of the
day. This ambiguity can be avoided if 'midnight' is replaced by '00:00:00',
or better, '00:00:00 local time'. Astronomers have deprecated the word
'midnight' for many years precisely to avoid this ambiguity.

David Harper

Senior DBA (and former astronomer)
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Cambridge, England

Responses

Browse pgsql-docs by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Jürgen Purtz 2019-07-08 10:59:04 Make 'Genetic Algorithm' a real figure
Previous Message Jürgen Purtz 2019-07-08 05:20:51 Re: TOC: List of Figures