Posted by Kevin on 09/25/81 11:10

Mr Lynch,

Thanks a lot for your help so far! I will answer or respond in message.

Yours,

Kevin

"Richard Lynch" <ceo@l-i-e.com> wrote in message
news:1815.66.99.91.45.1110305950.squirrel@www.l-i-e.com...
> Kevin wrote:
> > Right now I'm working on a script that would calculate dates from one
> > calendar to another. The normal calendar we use and a newly invented
one.
>
> [shudder]
> There are already WAY too many calendar systems.
>
> Inventing a new one is probably not such a good plan...
>
> Why re-invent the wheel?

It's part of a game. In the RPG there are dates which the players would like
to be able to convert from our calendar to that one, and back again..

>
> > In order to do that I need to find the exact days since the year 0
BC/AD.
> > However, the functions php provides only allow up to the unix epoch.
> >
> > Could you guys give me some pointers on how to accomplish this,
> > accurately?
>
> Take a look at the MySQL date ranges -- They may have a data type that
> allows for more than just 1/1/1970 to 3/??/2038
>
> If not, consider using PostgreSQL which has VERY extensive and flexible
> date support, for ranges MUCH larger than 0 BC/AD.
> http://postgresql.org
>
> I believe PostgreSQL even supports time scales on the order of geological
> events and for astronomical purposes, though not with "day" accuracy.
>
> I am assuming that by "accurately" you mean "to the nearest day" since you
> spoke of "exact days", right?

Aye.. it's nearest day, and according to calculations should have repeatable
results. So what is date X today should also be it tomorrow (after the
calculations of course). That's what i've noticed so far. when I add a date
and convert it and then convert it back it is a different date.

>
> But you didn't define how far into the future you need to go.
> Current time?
> A few years out?
> Stardates from Star Trek?
> You have to specify a start date, end date, and accuracy to choose a
> correct calendar system.

It's mostly the past. The RPG is set in Egypt and the beginning of the
society in egypt has been taken as year 0. The start date I think is
obvious, but I do not understand an end date of a calendar.. Perhaps I'm
just blond.. but could you perhaps explain that one?

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