[time-nuts] seeking a time/clock software architecture

Jim Lux jimlux at earthlink.net
Fri Sep 23 17:25:54 UTC 2011


On 9/23/11 10:13 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
> In message<4E7CBCA1.9010503 at earthlink.net>, Jim Lux writes:
>
>> What I'd like to do is take the next step beyond what you promulgated
>> with a representation of time and the conversion between count and time
>> with a linear equation.
>>
>> I'd like to propose a standard description of a higher order model of
>> time and the transformation between raw clock and time (in some agreed
>> upon time scale).
>
> Ouch...
>
> That's one tough nut to generalize...
>
> Are you even sure it makes sense to generalize it ?
>
> 	3.  The only thing worse than generalizing from one example
> 	is generalizing from no examples at all.
>
> 			(From Gettys rules for X11)
>
>

Well, that *is* why I asked the assembled multitude... you might be 
right, but I'd hate to say "it's not worth it" and then have someone pop 
up and say "but why don't we use XYZ standard"  And, if we don't want to 
standardize, it's always nice to explicitly say "we are not specifying 
this deliberately and ANY implementation conforms to the standard" 
(which means for interoperability, you can't assume that the other side 
is doing it a particular way, so you'd have to explicitly define an 
interface description).



One aspect of why at least a standardized second order model would be 
nice is that it allows you to make smooth non-discontinuous changes in 
rate.   the transformation from count to time would be discontinuous in 
rate of rate (i.e. it would go from zero, to something, to zero), but 
continuous in terms of rate.

Even just promulgating a standard way of changing the transformation 
might be useful. For instance, That it occurs at a time defined in terms 
of the old transformation,and at that time, we use the new 
transformation.  (this is like the daylight saving time sort of thing. 
At 2AM old time, it is instantly 1 AM new time)



More information about the time-nuts mailing list