Agreed, 8601 does allow that but the problem with that notation is one then
has to mentally adjust the date.  For example, 2002-02-04 24:00 = 2002-02-05
00:00 refer to the same point in time.  This can cause an error in
interpretation.  Hence in some disciplines, such as aviation, 24:00 time
group is explicitly disallowed, midnight is always 00:00.  There is never a
requirement to adjust the date mentally.  One should never have to do a
mental adjustment of explicit numbers as is required with a group like
2002-02-04 24:00.  wysiwyg it is not.  I prefer the kiss principle.

Baron Carter

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Potts [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, 02 January, 2002 13:11
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:17129] RE: Celebrations in Maastricht


As Joe Reid (I think) has pointed out, it depends on the context.

Although 24-hour clocks don't display 24:00, expressing midnight as 24:00 is
explicitly permitted by ISO 8601:1988 as an alternative to 00:00 -- in
emphasizing the completion of one day, for example, rather than the
beginning of the next.

I haven't checked ISO 8601:2000, as I don't have a copy. However, Markus
Kuhn's web site (accessible from http://metric1.org/dateandtime.htm)
contains the following:

As every day both starts and ends with midnight, the two notations 00:00 and
24:00 are available to distinguish the two midnights that can be associated
with one date. This means that the following two notations refer to exactly
the same point in time:

1995-02-04 24:00 = 1995-02-05 00:00

In case an unambiguous representation of time is required, 00:00 is usually
the preferred notation for midnight and not 24:00. Digital clocks display
00:00 and not 24:00.

Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Carter, Baron
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 05:23
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:17123] RE: Celebrations in Maastricht


There is no 24:00 hours.  It goes 23:59, 00:00, 00:01 etc.

Regards
Baron Carter

-----Original Message-----
From: Han Maenen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, 31 December, 2001 12:52
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:17023] Celebrations in Maastricht


To-night, on this special New Year's Eve there will be a large celebration
in Maastricht to welcome the euro and it will be on TV. It was in this small
city that in 1992 the decision was taken to adopt the euro on 2002 January
1.
At exactly 24:00 hours the euro will replace the guilder as the legal
currency. But people can still pay with their old currency for some time, in
our country till January 28.

Han

Reply via email to