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From: Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com>
Organization: Aglio Database Solutions
To: Tomasz Myrta <jasiek@klaster.net>,
	Peter Childs <blue.dragon@blueyonder.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Does anyone use TO_CHAR(INTERVAL)?
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 08:34:31 -0800
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Cc: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
References: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0303260929090.5091-100000@RedDragon.Childs>
	<3E817B63.2040006@klaster.net>
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Tomasz, Peter,

> I already know all of these things (look at thread "Formatting
> intervals" dated on 2003-03-17). I was just thinking about intervals
> idea. Keeping time inside interval is good. Keeping months inside
> interval also looks good, but keeping both of them doesn't make sense.
> It is impossible to use these fields together without referring them to
> some real date.

However illogical the current bahavior may seem, it *is* the SQL92/99=20
specification, so we're keeping it.=20=20=20

I personally use INTERVAL heavily for calendaring applications.  I got into=
 a=20
discussion with Thomas Lockhart last year about how INTERVAL treats dayligh=
t=20
savings time -- which is seriously problematic from a calendar designer's=
=20
perspective -- and was turned down by the core team wanting to change the=
=20
behavior.

Regrettably, even though the ANSI committee made a few mistakes with=20
DATE/TIME, they *are* the ANSI committee and PostgreSQL as a project is ver=
y=20
firmly committed to standards.

--=20
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco