Index Page timdef_c
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X
Procedure Abstract Required_Reading Keywords Brief_I/O Detailed_Input | Detailed_Output Parameters Exceptions Files Particulars Examples | Restrictions Literature_References Author_and_Institution Version Index_Entries
#### Procedure
       void timdef_c ( ConstSpiceChar * action,
                       ConstSpiceChar * item,
                       SpiceInt         lenout,
                       SpiceChar      * value )
#### Abstract
       Set and retrieve the defaults associated with calendar
       input strings.
#### Required_Reading
       None.
#### Keywords
       TIME
#### Brief_I/O
       VARIABLE  I/O  DESCRIPTION
       --------  ---  --------------------------------------------------
       action     I   is the kind of action to take "SET" or "GET".
       item       I   is the default item of interest.
       lenout     I   Length of list for output.
       value     I/O  is the value associated with the default item.
#### Detailed_Input
       action     is a word that specifies whether timdef_c sets the
                  value associated with item or retrieves the value
                  associated with item.  The allowed values for
                  action are "SET" and "GET".  The routine is not
                  sensitive to the case of the letters in action.

       item       is the default items whose value should be set or
                  retrieved.  The items that may be requested are:

                  item        Allowed Values
                  ---------   --------------
                  CALENDAR    GREGORIAN
                              JULIAN
                              MIXED

                  SYSTEM      TDB
                              TDT
                              UTC

                  ZONE        EST, EDT, CST, CDT, MST, MDT, PST, PDT
                              UTC+HR
                              UTC-HR       ( 0 <= HR < 13 )
                              UTC+HR:MN    ( 0 <= MN < 60 )
                              UTC-HR:MN

                  The case of item is not significant.

       lenout     is the allowed length of the string when returning a
                  value via a "GET".  The size described by lenout should
                  be large enough to hold any possible output plus 1.

       value      if the action is "SET" then value is an input and
                  is the value to be associated with item.  Note that
                  value is checked to ensure it is within the range
                  of allowed values for item.  If it is not within
                  the expected range and appropriate error message
                  is signalled.  The case of value is not significant.
#### Detailed_Output
       value      if the action is "GET" then value will be the
                  value associated with the requested item.  Note that
                  when time zones are set, they are translated to the
                  UTC offset form ( UTC(+/-)HR[:MN] ).  When value is
                  an output it will be in upper case.
#### Parameters
       None.
#### Exceptions
       1) If the action specified is not SET or GET the error
          SPICE(BADACTION) is signalled.

       2) If the item specified is not one the recognized items
          the error SPICE(BADTIMEITEM) is signalled.

       3) If the value associated with a "SET", item input
          is not one of the recognized items, the error
          SPICE(BADDEFAULTVALUE) is signalled.
#### Files
       None.
#### Particulars
       This routine exists to allow SPICE toolkit users to alter
       the default interpretation of time strings made by the
       routine str2et_c.

       Normally, unlabelled time strings are assumed to belong to
       the Gregorian Calendar and are UTC times.  However, you
       may alter the default behavior by calling timdef_c.

       Calendar
       --------

       You may set the calendar to be one of the following

       Gregorian   --- This is the calendar used daily the
                       Western Hemisphere.  Leap years occur in this
                       calendar every 4 years except on centuries
                       such as 1900 that are not divisible by 400.

       Julian      --- This is the calendar that was in use prior
                       to October 15, 1582.  Leap years occur every
                       4 years on the Julian Calendar (including all
                       centuries.)  October 5, 1582 on the Julian
                       calendar corresponds to October 15, 1582 of the
                       Gregorian Calendar.

       Mixed       --- This calendar uses the Julian calendar
                       for days prior to October 15, 1582 and
                       the Gregorian calendar for days on or after
                       October 15, 1582.

       To set the default calendar, select on of the above for value
       and make the following call.

          timdef_c ( "SET", "CALENDAR", lenout, value );

       System
       -------

       You may set the system used for keeping time to be UTC (default)
       TDB (barycentric dynamical time) or TDT (terrestrial dynamical
       time).  Both TDB and TDT have no leapseconds.  As such the time
       elapsed between any two epochs on these calendars does not depend
       upon when leapseconds occur.

       To set the default time system, select TDT, TDB or UTC for value
       and make the following call.

          timdef_c ( "SET", "SYSTEM", lenout, value );

       Note that such a call has the side effect of setting the value
       associated with ZONE to a blank.

       Zone
       -----

       You may alter the UTC system by specifying a time zone (UTC
       offset).  For example you may specify that epochs are referred
       to Pacific Standard Time (PST --- UTC-7).  The standard
       abbreviations for U.S. time zones are recognized:

          EST   UTC-5
          EDT   UTC-4
          CST   UTC-6
          CDT   UTC-5
          MST   UTC-7
          MDT   UTC-6
          PST   UTC-8
          PDT   UTC-7

       In addition you may specify any commercial time zone by using
       "offset" notation.  This notation starts with the letters "UTC"
       followed by a + for time zones east of Greenwich and - for
       time zones west of Greenwich.  This is followed by the number
       of hours to add or subtract from UTC.  This is optionally followed
       by a colon ':' and the number of minutes to add or subtract (based
       on the sign that follows "UTC") to get the
       local time zone.  Thus to specify the time zone of Calcutta you
       would specify the time zone to be UTC+5:30.  To specify the
       time zone of Newfoundland use the time zone UTC-3:30.

       To set a default time zone, select one of the "built-in" U.S.
       zones or construct an offset as discussed above.  Then make the
       call

          timdef_c ( "SET", "ZONE", lenout, value );

       If you "GET" a "ZONE" it will either be blank, or have the
       form "UTC+/-HR[:MN]"

       Note that such a call has the side effect of setting the value
       associated with SYSTEM to a blank.
#### Examples
       Suppose you wish to modify the behavior of str2et_c so that
       it interprets unlabeled time strings as being times in
       Pacific Daylight Time and that you want the calendar to use
       to be the "Mixed" calendar.  The following two calls will
       make the desired changes to the behavior of str2et_c

           timdef_c ( "SET", "CALENDAR", lenout, "MIXED" );
           timdef_c ( "SET", "ZONE"    , lenout, "PDT"   );
#### Restrictions
       None.
#### Literature_References
       None.
#### Author_and_Institution
       W.L. Taber      (JPL)
       E.D. Wright     (JPL)
#### Version
       -CSPICE Version 1.0.1, 13-APR-2000 (NJB)

          Made some minor updates and corrections in the header comments.

       -CSPICE Version 1.0.0, 4-FEB-1998   (EDW)
#### Index_Entries
       Change time software defaults.
       Time Zones
       Gregorian and Julian Calendars
#### Link to routine timdef_c source file timdef_c.c

    Wed Jun  9 13:05:31 2010