Re: [PATCH 2/2] Multiple locales: Use the correct 12-hour time formats

[TAMUKI Shoichi <tamuki at linet dot gr dot jp>]

Hello Rafal,

From: Rafal Luzynski <digitalfreak@lingonborough.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] Multiple locales: Use the correct 12-hour time formats
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2018 11:10:34 +0100 (CET)

> > I think that the change to use the correct 12-hour time formats needs
> > to be carefully considered.
> 
> OK, you have convinced me partially and I will prepare new versions
> of these patches where I will not change zero-padded hour indicators
> into non-zero-padded ones.  This bug report was not about it, it was
> only about the missing AM/PM indicator.
> 
> > In some locales, although 12-hour formats
> > are commonly used, there seem to be cases where there is no custom of
> > using the AM/PM indicator.
> > 
> > In this case, although it certainly becomes ambiguous, it seems that
> > there is a case where it can be judged in the context or supplemented
> > by adding "in the morning" to avoid ambiguity for example.
> 
> Well, that's what AM/PM means: "AM" = "ante meridiem" = "before noon"
> = "in the morning".  I definitely do not agree that we should not use
> any AM/PM indicator because there is no such custom in some countries
> (while using 12-hour clock at the same time).  I believe that these
> countries have already invented some form of AM/PM indicator or have
> directly adapted the one used in English speaking countries, also
> I think that CLDR and glibc already provide any indicators (sorry,
> I am unable to verify all 80 locales while writing this email).
> They must have faced the same problems multiple times in the past
> in the context of dates and times processed by computers.

OK.  I agreed.

> > So, I think that it needs to take it into account to change 12-hour
> > time format to 24-hour time format.
> 
> As far as I know people tend not to understand 24-hour clock in the
> countries where 12-hour clock is commonly used.  Finally, let's rely
> on CLDR which has a huge multinational support (which we don't have
> here in glibc).  What I'm trying to do here is to synchronize our
> locale data with CLDR, I'm trying to avoid my own guesses and my own
> research because they may be misleading.

Agreed.  I think it is a good idea to rely on CLDR.  In addition,
by considering the customs/opinions of the local people, it will
become more certain.

Regards,
TAMUKI Shoichi