The origin of the leap second is the moon, blame Mother Nature. Our clocks are too accurate.
-----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Field, Alan C. Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 10:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Leap Seconds, was Efficient conversion of GMT to/from local time from COBOL? Maybe leap seconds won't be an issue: http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/leap_second_poll.html Alan Leap seconds are a PITA. I'd like to reflect your question to IBM: What customers' business needs was IBM addressing in choosing to run the TOD clock on IAT (minus ten seconds), rather than on UT1 which would avoid the discontinuities of leap seconds. While IBM is ahead of the crowd in recognizing leap seconds, the implementation is lackadaisical. An enthusiastically faithful implementation would, when TIME was called in the middle of a leap second, return 23:59:60.500, the correct UTC. -- gil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any attached files are confidential. The information is exclusively for the use of the individual or entity intended as the recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, copying, printing, reviewing, retention, disclosure, distribution or forwarding of the message or any attached file is not authorized and is strictly prohibited. If you have received this electronic mail message in error, please advise the sender by reply electronic mail immediately and permanently delete the original transmission, any attachments and any copies of this message from your computer system. Thank you. ============================================================================== ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
