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.
All parsing code for C# generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the C# runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
The C# runtime library is available in the NuGet Gallery. Installation instructions can also be found there.
Parse a local file and get structure in memory:
var data = DosDatetime.FromFile("path/to/local/file.bin");
Or parse structure from a byte array:
byte[] someArray = new byte[] { ... };
var data = new DosDatetime(new KaitaiStream(someArray));
After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by accessing properties like:
data.Time // => get time
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
using System;
namespace Kaitai
{
/// <summary>
/// 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)
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/ms-dos-date-and-time">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-dosdatetimetofiletime">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/c6b64448ce4/dll/win32/kernel32/client/time.c#L82-L87">DosDateTimeToFileTime</a>
/// </remarks>
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/8/4/084c452b-b772-4fe5-89bb-a0cbf082286a/fatgen103.doc">page 25/34</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class DosDatetime : KaitaiStruct
{
public static DosDatetime FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new DosDatetime(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public DosDatetime(KaitaiStream p__io, KaitaiStruct p__parent = null, DosDatetime p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root ?? this;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_time = new Time(m_io, this, m_root);
_date = new Date(m_io, this, m_root);
}
public partial class Time : KaitaiStruct
{
public static Time FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new Time(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Time(KaitaiStream p__io, DosDatetime p__parent = null, DosDatetime p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_second = false;
f_paddedSecond = false;
f_paddedMinute = false;
f_paddedHour = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_secondDiv2 = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(5);
if (!(SecondDiv2 <= 29))
{
throw new ValidationGreaterThanError(29, SecondDiv2, M_Io, "/types/time/seq/0");
}
_minute = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(6);
if (!(Minute <= 59))
{
throw new ValidationGreaterThanError(59, Minute, M_Io, "/types/time/seq/1");
}
_hour = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(5);
if (!(Hour <= 23))
{
throw new ValidationGreaterThanError(23, Hour, M_Io, "/types/time/seq/2");
}
}
private bool f_second;
private int _second;
public int Second
{
get
{
if (f_second)
return _second;
_second = (int) ((2 * SecondDiv2));
f_second = true;
return _second;
}
}
private bool f_paddedSecond;
private string _paddedSecond;
public string PaddedSecond
{
get
{
if (f_paddedSecond)
return _paddedSecond;
_paddedSecond = (string) ((Second <= 9 ? "0" : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Second), 10));
f_paddedSecond = true;
return _paddedSecond;
}
}
private bool f_paddedMinute;
private string _paddedMinute;
public string PaddedMinute
{
get
{
if (f_paddedMinute)
return _paddedMinute;
_paddedMinute = (string) ((Minute <= 9 ? "0" : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Minute), 10));
f_paddedMinute = true;
return _paddedMinute;
}
}
private bool f_paddedHour;
private string _paddedHour;
public string PaddedHour
{
get
{
if (f_paddedHour)
return _paddedHour;
_paddedHour = (string) ((Hour <= 9 ? "0" : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Hour), 10));
f_paddedHour = true;
return _paddedHour;
}
}
private ulong _secondDiv2;
private ulong _minute;
private ulong _hour;
private DosDatetime m_root;
private DosDatetime m_parent;
public ulong SecondDiv2 { get { return _secondDiv2; } }
public ulong Minute { get { return _minute; } }
public ulong Hour { get { return _hour; } }
public DosDatetime M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public DosDatetime M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
public partial class Date : KaitaiStruct
{
public static Date FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new Date(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Date(KaitaiStream p__io, DosDatetime p__parent = null, DosDatetime p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_year = false;
f_paddedDay = false;
f_paddedMonth = false;
f_paddedYear = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_day = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(5);
if (!(Day >= 1))
{
throw new ValidationLessThanError(1, Day, M_Io, "/types/date/seq/0");
}
_month = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(4);
if (!(Month >= 1))
{
throw new ValidationLessThanError(1, Month, M_Io, "/types/date/seq/1");
}
if (!(Month <= 12))
{
throw new ValidationGreaterThanError(12, Month, M_Io, "/types/date/seq/1");
}
_yearMinus1980 = m_io.ReadBitsIntLe(7);
}
private bool f_year;
private int _year;
/// <summary>
/// only years from 1980 to 2107 (1980 + 127) can be represented
/// </summary>
public int Year
{
get
{
if (f_year)
return _year;
_year = (int) ((1980 + YearMinus1980));
f_year = true;
return _year;
}
}
private bool f_paddedDay;
private string _paddedDay;
public string PaddedDay
{
get
{
if (f_paddedDay)
return _paddedDay;
_paddedDay = (string) ((Day <= 9 ? "0" : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Day), 10));
f_paddedDay = true;
return _paddedDay;
}
}
private bool f_paddedMonth;
private string _paddedMonth;
public string PaddedMonth
{
get
{
if (f_paddedMonth)
return _paddedMonth;
_paddedMonth = (string) ((Month <= 9 ? "0" : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Month), 10));
f_paddedMonth = true;
return _paddedMonth;
}
}
private bool f_paddedYear;
private string _paddedYear;
public string PaddedYear
{
get
{
if (f_paddedYear)
return _paddedYear;
_paddedYear = (string) ((Year <= 999 ? "0" + (Year <= 99 ? "0" + (Year <= 9 ? "0" : "") : "") : "") + Convert.ToString((long) (Year), 10));
f_paddedYear = true;
return _paddedYear;
}
}
private ulong _day;
private ulong _month;
private ulong _yearMinus1980;
private DosDatetime m_root;
private DosDatetime m_parent;
public ulong Day { get { return _day; } }
public ulong Month { get { return _month; } }
public ulong YearMinus1980 { get { return _yearMinus1980; } }
public DosDatetime M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public DosDatetime M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
private Time _time;
private Date _date;
private DosDatetime m_root;
private KaitaiStruct m_parent;
public Time Time { get { return _time; } }
public Date Date { get { return _date; } }
public DosDatetime M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public KaitaiStruct M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
}