Question

Oracle Timezone Conversion for Date

Asked by: TotalEnergy

I have a table containing a DATE column, which I know does not contain timezone information.  The information in this column will always be in EST.  I want to write a function that will convert this column to the correct timezone after looking up the right timezone code from another table.

For example, table A will contain 2/12/2008 3:00pm.  Table B will contain PST as the timezone code for that record.  The function will return 2/12/2008 12:00pm.

Also, I do not want to have to consider daylight savings time when storing my timezone codes.  Would it be advised to store PST, PDT, or PT for example?

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Asked On
2008-06-30 at 07:24:36ID23526953
Tags

Oracle

,

10g

Topics

Oracle 10.x

,

PL / SQL

,

Oracle Database

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Points
500
Comments
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Answers

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2008-06-30 at 07:34:34ID: 21899454

" I do not want to have to consider daylight savings time when storing my timezone codes"

I think you'll have to store the PST/PDT timezone then.    Otherwise you'll have to write the code to
derive daylight vs standard your self.

So, with a table B populated with PST/PDT, your query would look something like this.

select new_time(your_date,'EST',(select tz from b where b.id = a.id)) from a

 

by: TotalEnergyPosted on 2008-06-30 at 07:42:27ID: 21899525

Thanks for the quick response.  One clarification on my original question - the database will always be in the local Eastern timezone, and will adjust accordingly to daylight savings time.  For example, DBTIMEZONE is currently set to -04:00.  When daylight savings time is over, it will be set to -05:00.

With that said, what is the best approach for converting from Eastern to Pacific, Central, and Mountain timezones, and considering daylight savings time?

Changing the data type of the DATE column is not an option at this point.

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2008-06-30 at 08:01:58ID: 21899746

Here's an alternate...

dst_newtime works just like the built-in  "new_time",  except you can pass in "prevailing" timezones.  It is specific to US timezone laws only though.

EPT, CPT, MPT, PPT, etc.  where EPT would be Eastern Prevailing Time,  meaning EDT during summer and EST other wise.

I've created the function to observe all US daylight saving changes from 1966 when daylight saving time was standardized in the US through today.

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION dst_newtime(
    p_date            IN DATE,
    p_from_timezone   IN VARCHAR2,
    p_to_timezone     IN VARCHAR2,
    p_2am             IN NUMBER DEFAULT 1
)
    RETURN DATE
    DETERMINISTIC
IS
    v_year                 PLS_INTEGER;
    v_start_of_dst         DATE;
    v_end_of_dst           DATE;
    v_temp_timezone        VARCHAR2(3);
    v_temp_date            DATE;
    v_from_daylight_offset NUMBER;
    v_from_standard_offset NUMBER;
    v_to_daylight_offset   NUMBER;
    v_to_standard_offset   NUMBER;
    v_from_offset          NUMBER;

    c_dummy_date  CONSTANT DATE := TO_DATE('2000-01-01', 'yyyy-mm-dd');
BEGIN
    --
    -- If no conversions are between "Prevailing Time" timezones
    -- or if the input date is NULL then act as standard NEW_TIME
    --
    IF p_date IS NULL
    OR  (p_from_timezone NOT IN ('EPT', 'CPT', 'MPT', 'PPT', 'YPT', 'HPT')
     AND p_to_timezone NOT IN ('EPT', 'CPT', 'MPT', 'PPT', 'YPT', 'HPT'))
    THEN
        RETURN NEW_TIME(p_date, p_from_timezone, p_to_timezone);
    END IF;

    --
    -- For dates prior to the Uniform Time Act of 1966 we can't produce a standardized algorithm
    -- all "Prevailing" timezones are invalid for these dates, raise an error reporting them as such.
    --
    IF p_date < TO_DATE('1966-04-24', 'yyyy-mm-dd')
    THEN
        raise_application_error(
            -20000,
            'U.S. "prevailing" time not supported prior to The Uniform Time Act of 1966'
        );
    END IF;

    -- For simplicity of calculation,
    -- convert all "prevailing" times to and from GMT
    -- To calculate offsets, any date will do, so a dummy date is used
    IF p_from_timezone = 'EPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -4;
        v_from_standard_offset := -5;
    ELSIF p_from_timezone = 'CPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -5;
        v_from_standard_offset := -6;
    ELSIF p_from_timezone = 'MPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -6;
        v_from_standard_offset := -7;
    ELSIF p_from_timezone = 'PPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -7;
        v_from_standard_offset := -8;
    ELSIF p_from_timezone = 'YPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -8;
        v_from_standard_offset := -9;
    ELSIF p_from_timezone = 'HPT'
    THEN
        v_from_daylight_offset := -9;
        v_from_standard_offset := -10;
    ELSE
        v_from_daylight_offset := NEW_TIME(c_dummy_date, p_from_timezone, 'GMT') - c_dummy_date;
        v_from_standard_offset := NEW_TIME(c_dummy_date, p_from_timezone, 'GMT') - c_dummy_date;
    END IF;

    IF p_to_timezone = 'EPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -4;
        v_to_standard_offset := -5;
    ELSIF p_to_timezone = 'CPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -5;
        v_to_standard_offset := -6;
    ELSIF p_to_timezone = 'MPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -6;
        v_to_standard_offset := -7;
    ELSIF p_to_timezone = 'PPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -7;
        v_to_standard_offset := -8;
    ELSIF p_to_timezone = 'YPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -8;
        v_to_standard_offset := -9;
    ELSIF p_to_timezone = 'HPT'
    THEN
        v_to_daylight_offset := -9;
        v_to_standard_offset := -10;
    ELSE
        v_to_daylight_offset := NEW_TIME(c_dummy_date, p_to_timezone, 'GMT') - c_dummy_date;
        v_to_standard_offset := NEW_TIME(c_dummy_date, p_to_timezone, 'GMT') - c_dummy_date;
    END IF;

    --
    -- Determine the daylight/standard transition dates.
    --
    v_year := TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(p_date, 'yyyy'));

    IF v_year = 1974
    THEN
        -- Rule established: December 15, 1973 [P.L. 93-182] Nixon
        --   Law name: 'Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973'
        v_start_of_dst := TO_DATE('1974-01-06', 'yyyy-mm-dd');
        v_end_of_dst := TO_DATE('1974-10-27', 'yyyy-mm-dd');
    ELSIF v_year = 1975
    THEN
        -- Rule established: December 15, 1973 [P.L. 93-182] Nixon
        --   Law name: 'Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973'
        --   amended by [P.L. 93-434]
        v_start_of_dst := TO_DATE('1975-02-23', 'yyyy-mm-dd');
        -- DST ends Last Sundary in October
        v_end_of_dst := TO_DATE('1975-10-26', 'yyyy-mm-dd');
    ELSIF v_year <= 1986
    THEN
        -- Rule established: April 13, 1966 [Public Law 89-387] Johnson
        --   Law name: 'The Uniform Time Act of 1966' (15 U.S. Code Section 260a)
        -- DST starts on Last Sunday in April in 1986 and prior
        v_start_of_dst := NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-04-23', 'yyyy-mm-dd'), 'SUNDAY');
        -- DST ends on Last Sunday in October
        v_end_of_dst := NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-10-24', 'yyyy-mm-dd'), 'SUNDAY');
    ELSIF v_year < 2007
    THEN
        -- Rule established: October 8, 1986 [P.L. 99-359] Reagan
        --   Law name: 'Fire Prevention and Control Authorizations Act'
        -- DST starts on First Sunday in April after 1986
        v_start_of_dst := NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-03-31', 'yyyy-mm-dd'), 'SUNDAY');
        -- DST ends on Last Sunday in October
        v_end_of_dst := NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-10-24', 'yyyy-mm-dd'), 'SUNDAY');
    ELSE
        -- Rule established: August 8, 2005 [ HR6] Bush
        --   Law name: 'Energy Policy Act of 2005'
        -- DST starts on Second Sunday in March starting 2007
        v_start_of_dst :=
            NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-03-01', 'yyyy-mm-dd') - 1, 'SUNDAY') + 7;
        -- DST ends on First Sunday in November starting 2007
        v_end_of_dst := NEXT_DAY(TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(v_year) || '-10-31', 'yyyy-mm-dd'), 'SUNDAY');
    END IF;

    IF p_date <= (v_start_of_dst + 2 / 24)
    THEN
        v_from_offset := v_from_standard_offset;
    ELSIF p_date < (v_end_of_dst + 1 / 24)
    THEN
        v_from_offset := v_from_daylight_offset;
    ELSIF p_date <= (v_end_of_dst + 2 / 24)
    THEN
        -- For switch back to Standard time
        -- there are two periods of 1:00:00am to 1:59:59am on this day.
        -- 1:59:59am Daylight Saving "falls back" to 1:00:00am Standard
        IF p_2am = 1
        THEN
            -- At the instant the first 2am of the Fall switch date is reached
            -- Daylight Saving Time ends and it becomes 1am Standard instead
            v_from_offset := v_from_daylight_offset;
        ELSE
            -- The second 1am of the Fall switch date begins Standard Time
            v_from_offset := v_from_standard_offset;
        END IF;
    ELSE
        -- p_date is after 2am on Fall switch date where all times are Standard
        v_from_offset := v_from_standard_offset;
    END IF;

    IF v_temp_date < (v_start_of_dst + 2 / 24) + v_to_standard_offset
    THEN
        -- Standard time is before the first transition
        v_temp_date := v_temp_date - v_to_standard_offset + v_from_offset;
    ELSIF v_temp_date < (v_end_of_dst + 1 / 24) + v_to_daylight_offset
    THEN
        -- Between the Spring and Fall switch times is the Daylight Saving period
        v_temp_date := v_temp_date - v_to_daylight_offset + v_from_offset;
    ELSE
        -- p_date is on or after 2am on Fall switch date so it's Standard
        -- All times are standard so no further change is needed.
        v_temp_date := v_temp_date - v_to_standard_offset + v_from_offset;
    END IF;

    RETURN v_temp_date;
END dst_newtime;
                                              
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by: TotalEnergyPosted on 2008-07-01 at 07:03:43ID: 21907873

Wow! That function is impressive and looks like it does what I am asking for.  I am currently testing this now.

One question: How does this procedure handle a state such as Arizona where the Prevailing time zone is always non-daylight savings? Would you just always pass the Arizona time zone as MST and never use MPT?

Thank you.

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2008-07-01 at 07:10:48ID: 21907953

Thanks, glad you like it.  Saved me lots of headaches.:)

Yes for non-dst observing locations you use the standard tz all the time.

 

by: TotalEnergyPosted on 2008-07-01 at 11:43:17ID: 31471974

You are truly an expert!

 

by: sdstuberPosted on 2008-07-01 at 11:43:57ID: 21910379

glad I could help

 

by: TotalEnergyPosted on 2008-07-01 at 11:44:19ID: 21910383

Thank you again for the excellent solution! It worked perfectly in my environment.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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