Re: encode-time vs decode-time

[Paul Eggert]

Lars Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> I think there should be a function to convert between
> these "internal second time" formats.  Like...  `convert-time-format',
> which would be like `(encode-time time 'list)' (etc).
>
> And then leave encode-time/decode-time a simple pair that would do
> nothing but convert between "internal second time format" and "decoded
> time format".

OK, after some cogitation I installed something along those lines into master. I 
called the new function 'time-convert' by analogy with the existing functions 
time-add etc. So now, as you suggested, encode-time has reverted to its old role 
of converting from decoded timestamps to Lisp timestamps and its API is now simpler.

I didn't follow your suggestion of adding another function that acts like 
current-time except it returns other Lisp timestamp formats, because 
(time-convert nil FORMAT) does that.

I didn't follow Stefan's suggestion of adding another function that acts like 
current-time except it returns the (TICKS . HZ) format, because current-time is 
already planned do exactly that after the next release (when we will default 
CURRENT_TIME_LIST to false) and it'll be simpler if we have one function rather 
than two that do the same thing.