DateTimeToTimeZone function

Syntax

DateTimeToTimeZone(OldDateTime, SourceTimeZone, DestinationTimeZone)

Description

Use the DateTimeToTimeZone function to convert DateTime values from the DateTime specified by SourceTimeZone to the DateTime specified by DestinationTimeZone.

Parameters

Parameter Description

OldDateTime

Specify the DateTime value to be converted.

SourceTimeZone

Specify the time zone that OldDateTime is in. Valid values are:

  • timezone - a time zone abbreviation or a field reference to be used for converting OldDateTime.

  • Local - use the local time zone for converting OldDateTime.

  • Base - use the base time zone for converting OldDateTime.

DestinationTimeZone

Specify the time zone that you want to convert OldDateTime to. Valid values are:

  • timezone - a time zone abbreviation or a field reference to be used for converting OldDateTime.

  • Local - use the local time zone for converting OldDateTime.

  • Base - use the base time zone for converting OldDateTime.

Returns

A converted DateTime value.

Example

The following example. TESTDTTM, is a DateTime field with a value 01/01/99 10:00:00. This example converts TESTDTTM from Pacific standard time (PST) to eastern standard time (EST). 

&NEWDATETIME = DateTimeToTimeZone(TESTDTTM, "PST", "EST");

&NEWDATETIME will have the value 01/01/99 13:00:00 because EST is three hours ahead of PST on 01/01/99, so three hours are added to the DateTime value.

Considerations Using this Function

Typically, this function is used in PeopleCode, not for displaying time. If you take a DateTime value, convert it from base time to client time, then try to display this time, depending on the user settings, when the time is displayed the system might try to do a second conversion on an already converted DateTime. This function could be used as follows: suppose a user wanted to check to make sure a time was in a range of times on a certain day, in a certain timezone. If the times were between 12 AM and 12 PM in EST, these resolve to 9 PM and 9 AM PST, respectively. The start value is after the end value, which makes it difficult to make a comparison. This function could be used to do the conversion for the comparison, in temporary fields, and not displayed at all.

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