Option to choose correct timeone When the ap...

[Aleksi_Alkio]

Option to choose correct timeone

When the app is used in different countries (timezones), we need to have an option are we going to use user device’s locale timezone or for example Sheet’s timezone. We are having problems when we need to sort the view with the created datetime value. For example… if someone fills the form in US and I will do the same in FI, sorted view is not correct.

I know we have the locale expression but it’s not bulletproof way because if I’m abroad, it won’t work either…

Thoughts?

[Levent_KULACOGL]

I believe it should only obey to the timezone set in the gSheet. I can be in FI without having my device use the timezone of the roaming OR I can even turn off roaming. But I agree that we should have such kinda setting to play with. On the contrary, I’m not so sure if Excel users might have the same.

[James_W_Rezin]

I concur, Having a Base Timezone is a must, but I also believe that the option to activate it or not needs to be there as you may also want to sort/work by timezone.

i.e. Global Organisation, local usage (Global Aggregate Info, Local Details).

[Phil]

@Aleksi_Alkio

Using local dates and times is a mess regardless of which local timezone you choose as the “base”.

1. Using local times makes ordering and time comparisons difficult across time zones. 2. Daylight saving time transitions further complicate matters because time goes backwards by one hour. This results in duplicate time values and ordering problems. 3. The rules for handling calendars and daylight savings time transitions very radically base on time zone, geography, religious affiliation, and political whim.

Keeping all times in UTC makes life much easier.

You can then decide whether to take on the burdens of: 1. Displaying dates and times in the user’s local timezone 2. Formatting dates and times based on the user’s preferred locale.

By the way, doing these two things properly is ridiculously difficult. The complications are endless.