[Python-Dev] datetime +/- scalars (int, long, float)? (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Mon, 04 Mar 2002 09:02:28 -0500

[MAL]

> > You should name the type timestamp if you want to imply dt + n > > == dt + n seconds. datetime + n is commonly understood as > > dt + n days. [...]

[me]

> Is this just an mxDateTime convention, or is it in wider use? (URLs > of docs of other languages / libraries would really help to convince > me!)

[Kevin]

I'm afraid that this really is the de-facto standard.

Then I propose to remove the feature of automatic mixing int/long/float and datetime or timedelta instances in add/subtract operations. You'll have to specify what you want using a timedelta(days, seconds) constructor. That's clearer anyway.

However, lets be clear; is t=t+1 adding 1 (calendar) day or 24 hours (86400 seconds)?

How does it differ? (We already ignore leap seconds.)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)