I have tried (unsuccessfully) to get you to view things from the end user perspective.
I wish that you would consider looking at what the end user sees because that is what really matters. Without end users we would not need to develop software would we? This entire conversation was VERY nicely summarized (by you) with the following statement: 01/02/2007 7:00 PM EST == 01/02/2007 8:00 PM EDT I agree with that statement 100%. Python displays the date as 01/02/2007 7:00 PM EST Windows displays the date as 01/02/2007 8:00 PM EDT. Python and Windows are BOTH correct! However, there is a problem. Windows does *not* display the date like that. Windows displays the date as 01/02/2007 08:00 PM. Windows does *not* give *any* indication when it made the switch from EST to EDT!!! All the end user sees is that the file said it was last changed at 07:00 PM one day and then the next day after DST started it now says the file was last changed at 08:00 PM. The user is left scratching their head. I prefer not to leave my end users in that situation. >From Python I could resolve this using strftime with %Z to show the timezone / EST / EDT but from Windows you cannot get it to show you the timezone / DST value. The only place in Windows that I have found that indicates EST / EDT is in Control Panel Date and Time Properties. Since the dir command and Explorer do not display the timezone / DST information the end experience is confusion when the EST / EDT switch occurs. You understand what happend, I understand what happen, but the typical user does not. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list