GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Why do History timing details retain UTC offsets and fractional seconds?
History keeps the offset and fractional digits that arrive with a timestamp because they are part of the supplied chronology evidence. Its display changes the separator for readability and labels a trailing Z as UTC, but it does not convert an explicit offset into an assumed device-local time or round away fractional digits. That preserves the input string; it does not guarantee the original event was measured with that precision.
For BSD readers comparing timestamps in a History record · Updated
An offset is part of the supplied time
A timestamp can include a UTC offset such as -04:00 or +02:00, or end in Z to identify UTC. Fractional digits may follow the seconds. Those details preserve how the source represented the time.
History validates the timestamp format and keeps the accepted value. It does not silently replace an offset with a guessed timezone or round away the supplied fractional part.
Readable formatting is not local conversion
The formatter changes the T separator to a visual separator. A trailing Z is shown as UTC. An explicit numeric offset and the fractional digits remain attached to the displayed value.
This does not promise one universal timezone setting. Read the offset actually present in the record rather than assuming the display has converted the time to your location.
- Z is displayed with a UTC label.
- An explicit numeric offset stays with the supplied time.
- Fractional digits are preserved, not independently verified.
Preserved digits are not extra certainty
Keeping six or nine fractional digits does not establish that an event was measured to a millionth or billionth of a second. It means the source value carried those digits and History did not discard them.
When chronology matters, compare complete timestamps and their offsets. Do not strip the offset or infer a local-time conversion that the display does not make.
Reading an illustrative timestamp
Hypothetically, a History value ends in 09:21:33.123456-04:00. The offset and six fractional digits remain visible as supplied. The display does not claim microsecond accuracy or silently convert the value to the reader's local time.
Related questions
Does an explicit offset mean the time was converted to my location?
No. The offset remains part of the supplied timestamp; History does not promise a universal device-local conversion.
Do fractional digits prove the event time is that precise?
No. They are preserved source digits, not an independent guarantee of measurement accuracy.