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Contributing to the tz code and data
# Contributing to the tz code and data

The time zone database is by no means authoritative: governments
change timekeeping rules erratically and sometimes with little
warning, the data entries do not cover all of civil time before
1970, and undoubtedly errors remain in the code and data. Feel
free to fill gaps or fix mistakes, and please email improvements
to [email protected] for use in the future. In your email, please give
to <[email protected]> for use in the future. In your email, please give
reliable sources that reviewers can check.

-----

Developers can contribute technical changes to the source code and
data as follows.
## Contributing technical changes

To email small changes, please run a POSIX shell command like
'diff -u old/europe new/europe >myfix.patch', and attach
myfix.patch to the email.
`diff -u old/europe new/europe >myfix.patch`, and attach
`myfix.patch` to the email.

For more-elaborate or possibly-controversial changes,
such as renaming, adding or removing zones, please read
<https://www.iana.org/time-zones/repository/theory.html> or the file
theory.html. It is also good to browse the mailing list archives
<https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/> for examples of patches that tend
to work well. Additions to data should contain commentary citing
reliable sources as justification. Citations should use https: URLs
if available.
"[Theory and pragmatics of the tz code and
data](https://www.iana.org/time-zones/repository/theory.html)".
It is also good to browse the [mailing list
archives](https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/) for examples of patches
that tend to work well. Additions to data should contain commentary
citing reliable sources as justification. Citations should use
"https:" URLs if available.

For changes that fix sensitive security-related bugs, please see the
file SECURITY.
distribution's `SECURITY` file.

Please submit changes against either the [latest release of the Time
Zone Database](https://www.iana.org/time-zones) or the main branch of
the development repository. The latter is preferred.

## Sample Git workflow for developing contributions

Please submit changes against either the latest release in
<https://www.iana.org/time-zones> or the main branch of the development
repository. The latter is preferred. If you use Git the following
workflow may be helpful:
If you use Git the following workflow may be helpful:

* Copy the development repository.

git clone https://github.com/eggert/tz.git
cd tz
git clone https://github.com/eggert/tz.git
cd tz

* Get current with the main branch.

git checkout main
git pull
git checkout main
git pull

* Switch to a new branch for the changes. Choose a different
branch name for each change set.

git checkout -b mybranch
git checkout -b mybranch

* Sleuth by using 'git blame'. For example, when fixing data for
Africa/Sao_Tome, if the command 'git blame africa' outputs a line
'2951fa3b (Paul Eggert 2018-01-08 09:03:13 -0800 1068) Zone
Africa/Sao_Tome 0:26:56 - LMT 1884', commit 2951fa3b should
provide some justification for the 'Zone Africa/Sao_Tome' line.
* Sleuth by using `git blame`. For example, when fixing data for
Africa/Sao_Tome, if the command `git blame africa` outputs a line
`2951fa3b (Paul Eggert 2018-01-08 09:03:13 -0800 1068) Zone
Africa/Sao_Tome 0:26:56 - LMT 1884`, commit 2951fa3b should
provide some justification for the `Zone Africa/Sao_Tome` line.

* Edit source files. Include commentary that justifies the
changes by citing reliable sources.

* Debug the changes, e.g.:

make check
make install
./zdump -v America/Los_Angeles
make check
make install
./zdump -v America/Los_Angeles

* For each separable change, commit it in the new branch, e.g.:

git add northamerica
git commit
git add northamerica
git commit

See recent 'git log' output for the commit-message style.
See recent `git log` output for the commit-message style.

* Create patch files 0001-*, 0002-*, ...
* Create patch files 0001-..., 0002-..., ...

git format-patch main
git format-patch main

* After reviewing the patch files, send the patches to [email protected]
* After reviewing the patch files, send the patches to <[email protected]>
for others to review.

git send-email main
git send-email main

For an archived example of such an email, see
<https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/2018-February/026122.html>.
"[[tz] [PROPOSED] Fix off-by-1 error for Jamaica and T&C before
1913](https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/2018-February/026122.html)".

* Start anew by getting current with the main branch again
(the second step above).
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