From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Nic James Ferrier Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: 'cal 9 1752' and emacs calendar disagree Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:28:49 +0100 Message-ID: <87fygxgrfi.fsf@nicferrier.tapsellferrier.co.uk> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1153348890 8088 80.91.229.2 (19 Jul 2006 22:41:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 22:41:30 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Jul 20 00:41:28 2006 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1G3Kix-0005EW-HL for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:40:59 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1G3Kiw-0003ch-ML for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:40:58 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1G3KiW-000371-Ot for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:40:32 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1G3KiV-00034Y-I6 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:40:32 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1G3KiV-000348-Bb for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:40:31 -0400 Original-Received: from [81.187.188.218] (helo=owls-house.tapsellferrier.co.uk) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA:32) (Exim 4.52) id 1G3KiY-0005OR-KM for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:40:34 -0400 Original-Received: from nicferrier.tapsellferrier.co.uk ([172.31.50.1]) by owls-house.tapsellferrier.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.60 #1 (Debian)) id 1G3Kam-0002xA-NW; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:32:32 +0100 Original-Received: from nferrier by nicferrier.tapsellferrier.co.uk with local (Exim 4.50) id 1G3KXB-0002DU-2c; Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:28:49 +0100 Original-To: Leon In-Reply-To: (Leon's message of "Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:16:50 +0100") X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:57355 Archived-At: Leon writes: > Hi there, > > For some historical reasons=C2=B9, September 1752 is a special month that > has no 3 - 13 dates. As you can see, 'cal 9 1752' will gives > > September 1752=20=20=20 > Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa > 1 2 14 15 16 > 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 > 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 > > > While emacs calendar gives: > > September 1752=20=20=20=20 > Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa=20 > 1 2=20 > 3 4 5 6 7 8 9=20 > 10 11 12 13 14 15 16=20 > 17 18 19 20 21 22 23=20 > 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 > > Is this a bug? No. Unix cal is badly broken in respect of understood calendrical systems. Ordinary calendars are consistent within a calendrical system. So if we accept and use the Gregorian Calendar we count backwards with it as well as counting forwards. It does not matter that in a particular locale the Gregorian system was started on a particular date. Only that a particular locale uses=20 the Gregorian system. Unix cal is only right if you happen to be English or you are American and accept England's conversion to the Gregorian calendar as the date when the colonies were converted as well. But if you are Russian or French or Mexican there is absolutely no reason to think of cal's 9 1752 behaviour as being in any way sensible. --=20 Nic Ferrier http://www.tapsellferrier.co.uk for all your tapsell ferrier needs