strdt

strdt is a compact, string-based date-time representation used in some software systems to store timestamp values with fixed length and predictable lexicographic ordering. It aims to combine human readability with efficient storage and fast comparisons, making it suitable for logging, indexing, and message headers where compactness and ordering are important.

The canonical strdt format encodes date and time in a fixed-length string, typically following an ISO-like convention. A common representation is YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ for UTC times, or YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS±HHMM to indicate a specific offset. Some variants extend the format to include fractional seconds, such as YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS.mmmZ or with a corresponding offset. The key properties are fixed width, predictable length, and a lexical ordering that matches chronological order when the same timezone policy is applied.

Benefits of strdt include straightforward lexical sorting, constant-time comparisons, and predictable storage. Its fixed length simplifies database indexing and line-based log parsing. Limitations include reliance on a consistent time zone policy, potential ambiguity when mixing time zones, and the need for parsing if native date-time functionality is required for arithmetic or localization. Sub-second precision is not standardized across implementations and may vary by variant.

In practice, strdt is used as a lightweight timestamp in log lines, event streams, and compact data records where human readability and speed trump rich temporal semantics. Conversions to and from native date-time types are routine, using parsers that enforce the chosen variant’s rules.

See also: ISO 8601, timestamp, lexical ordering.