MS-DOS date and time are packed 16-bit values that specify local date/time. The time is always stored in the current UTC time offset set on the computer which created the file. Note that the daylight saving time (DST) shifts also change the UTC time offset.
For example, if you pack two files A and B into a ZIP archive, file A last modified at 2020-03-29 00:59 UTC+00:00 (GMT) and file B at 2020-03-29 02:00 UTC+01:00 (BST), the file modification times saved in MS-DOS format in the ZIP file will vary depending on whether the computer packing the files is set to GMT or BST at the time of ZIP creation.
It follows that you are unable to determine the actual last modified time of any file stored in the ZIP archive, if you don't know the locale time setting of the computer at the time it created the ZIP.
This format is used in some data formats from the MS-DOS era, for example:
This page hosts a formal specification of MS-DOS datetime using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
-- This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
--
-- This file is compatible with Lua 5.3
local class = require("class")
require("kaitaistruct")
local utils = require("utils")
--
-- MS-DOS date and time are packed 16-bit values that specify local date/time.
-- The time is always stored in the current UTC time offset set on the computer
-- which created the file. Note that the daylight saving time (DST) shifts
-- also change the UTC time offset.
--
-- For example, if you pack two files A and B into a ZIP archive, file A last modified
-- at 2020-03-29 00:59 UTC+00:00 (GMT) and file B at 2020-03-29 02:00 UTC+01:00 (BST),
-- the file modification times saved in MS-DOS format in the ZIP file will vary depending
-- on whether the computer packing the files is set to GMT or BST at the time of ZIP creation.
--
-- - If set to GMT:
-- - file A: 2020-03-29 00:59 (UTC+00:00)
-- - file B: 2020-03-29 01:00 (UTC+00:00)
-- - If set to BST:
-- - file A: 2020-03-29 01:59 (UTC+01:00)
-- - file B: 2020-03-29 02:00 (UTC+01:00)
--
-- It follows that you are unable to determine the actual last modified time
-- of any file stored in the ZIP archive, if you don't know the locale time
-- setting of the computer at the time it created the ZIP.
--
-- This format is used in some data formats from the MS-DOS era, for example:
--
-- - [zip](/zip/)
-- - [rar](/rar/)
-- - [vfat](/vfat/) (FAT12)
-- - [lzh](/lzh/)
-- - [cab](http://justsolve.archiveteam.org/wiki/Cabinet)
-- See also: Source (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/ms-dos-date-and-time)
-- See also: Source (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-dosdatetimetofiletime)
-- See also: DosDateTimeToFileTime (https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/c6b64448ce4/dll/win32/kernel32/client/time.c#L82-L87)
-- See also: page 25/34 (https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/8/4/084c452b-b772-4fe5-89bb-a0cbf082286a/fatgen103.doc)
DosDatetime = class.class(KaitaiStruct)
function DosDatetime:_init(io, parent, root)
KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
self._parent = parent
self._root = root or self
self:_read()
end
function DosDatetime:_read()
self.time = DosDatetime.Time(self._io, self, self._root)
self.date = DosDatetime.Date(self._io, self, self._root)
end
DosDatetime.Time = class.class(KaitaiStruct)
function DosDatetime.Time:_init(io, parent, root)
KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
self._parent = parent
self._root = root or self
self:_read()
end
function DosDatetime.Time:_read()
self.second_div_2 = self._io:read_bits_int_le(5)
if not(self.second_div_2 <= 29) then
error("ValidationGreaterThanError")
end
self.minute = self._io:read_bits_int_le(6)
if not(self.minute <= 59) then
error("ValidationGreaterThanError")
end
self.hour = self._io:read_bits_int_le(5)
if not(self.hour <= 23) then
error("ValidationGreaterThanError")
end
end
DosDatetime.Time.property.second = {}
function DosDatetime.Time.property.second:get()
if self._m_second ~= nil then
return self._m_second
end
self._m_second = (2 * self.second_div_2)
return self._m_second
end
DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_second = {}
function DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_second:get()
if self._m_padded_second ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_second
end
self._m_padded_second = utils.box_unwrap((self.second <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or ("")) .. tostring(self.second)
return self._m_padded_second
end
DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_minute = {}
function DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_minute:get()
if self._m_padded_minute ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_minute
end
self._m_padded_minute = utils.box_unwrap((self.minute <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or ("")) .. tostring(self.minute)
return self._m_padded_minute
end
DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_hour = {}
function DosDatetime.Time.property.padded_hour:get()
if self._m_padded_hour ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_hour
end
self._m_padded_hour = utils.box_unwrap((self.hour <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or ("")) .. tostring(self.hour)
return self._m_padded_hour
end
DosDatetime.Date = class.class(KaitaiStruct)
function DosDatetime.Date:_init(io, parent, root)
KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
self._parent = parent
self._root = root or self
self:_read()
end
function DosDatetime.Date:_read()
self.day = self._io:read_bits_int_le(5)
if not(self.day >= 1) then
error("ValidationLessThanError")
end
self.month = self._io:read_bits_int_le(4)
if not(self.month >= 1) then
error("ValidationLessThanError")
end
if not(self.month <= 12) then
error("ValidationGreaterThanError")
end
self.year_minus_1980 = self._io:read_bits_int_le(7)
end
--
-- only years from 1980 to 2107 (1980 + 127) can be represented.
DosDatetime.Date.property.year = {}
function DosDatetime.Date.property.year:get()
if self._m_year ~= nil then
return self._m_year
end
self._m_year = (1980 + self.year_minus_1980)
return self._m_year
end
DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_day = {}
function DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_day:get()
if self._m_padded_day ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_day
end
self._m_padded_day = utils.box_unwrap((self.day <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or ("")) .. tostring(self.day)
return self._m_padded_day
end
DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_month = {}
function DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_month:get()
if self._m_padded_month ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_month
end
self._m_padded_month = utils.box_unwrap((self.month <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or ("")) .. tostring(self.month)
return self._m_padded_month
end
DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_year = {}
function DosDatetime.Date.property.padded_year:get()
if self._m_padded_year ~= nil then
return self._m_padded_year
end
self._m_padded_year = utils.box_unwrap((self.year <= 999) and utils.box_wrap("0" .. utils.box_unwrap((self.year <= 99) and utils.box_wrap("0" .. utils.box_unwrap((self.year <= 9) and utils.box_wrap("0") or (""))) or (""))) or ("")) .. tostring(self.year)
return self._m_padded_year
end