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.
import kaitai_struct_nim_runtime
import options
import strutils
type
DosDatetime* = ref object of KaitaiStruct
`time`*: DosDatetime_Time
`date`*: DosDatetime_Date
`parent`*: KaitaiStruct
DosDatetime_Time* = ref object of KaitaiStruct
`secondDiv2`*: uint64
`minute`*: uint64
`hour`*: uint64
`parent`*: DosDatetime
`secondInst`: int
`secondInstFlag`: bool
`paddedSecondInst`: string
`paddedSecondInstFlag`: bool
`paddedMinuteInst`: string
`paddedMinuteInstFlag`: bool
`paddedHourInst`: string
`paddedHourInstFlag`: bool
DosDatetime_Date* = ref object of KaitaiStruct
`day`*: uint64
`month`*: uint64
`yearMinus1980`*: uint64
`parent`*: DosDatetime
`yearInst`: int
`yearInstFlag`: bool
`paddedDayInst`: string
`paddedDayInstFlag`: bool
`paddedMonthInst`: string
`paddedMonthInstFlag`: bool
`paddedYearInst`: string
`paddedYearInstFlag`: bool
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: KaitaiStruct): DosDatetime
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Time], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: DosDatetime): DosDatetime_Time
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Date], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: DosDatetime): DosDatetime_Date
proc second*(this: DosDatetime_Time): int
proc paddedSecond*(this: DosDatetime_Time): string
proc paddedMinute*(this: DosDatetime_Time): string
proc paddedHour*(this: DosDatetime_Time): string
proc year*(this: DosDatetime_Date): int
proc paddedDay*(this: DosDatetime_Date): string
proc paddedMonth*(this: DosDatetime_Date): string
proc paddedYear*(this: DosDatetime_Date): string
##[
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 <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/ms-dos-date-and-time">Source</a>
@see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-dosdatetimetofiletime">Source</a>
@see <a href="https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/c6b64448ce4/dll/win32/kernel32/client/time.c#L82-L87">DosDateTimeToFileTime</a>
@see <a href="https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/8/4/084c452b-b772-4fe5-89bb-a0cbf082286a/fatgen103.doc">page 25/34</a>
]##
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: KaitaiStruct): DosDatetime =
template this: untyped = result
this = new(DosDatetime)
let root = if root == nil: cast[DosDatetime](this) else: cast[DosDatetime](root)
this.io = io
this.root = root
this.parent = parent
let timeExpr = DosDatetime_Time.read(this.io, this.root, this)
this.time = timeExpr
let dateExpr = DosDatetime_Date.read(this.io, this.root, this)
this.date = dateExpr
proc fromFile*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime], filename: string): DosDatetime =
DosDatetime.read(newKaitaiFileStream(filename), nil, nil)
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Time], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: DosDatetime): DosDatetime_Time =
template this: untyped = result
this = new(DosDatetime_Time)
let root = if root == nil: cast[DosDatetime](this) else: cast[DosDatetime](root)
this.io = io
this.root = root
this.parent = parent
let secondDiv2Expr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(5)
this.secondDiv2 = secondDiv2Expr
let minuteExpr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(6)
this.minute = minuteExpr
let hourExpr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(5)
this.hour = hourExpr
proc second(this: DosDatetime_Time): int =
if this.secondInstFlag:
return this.secondInst
let secondInstExpr = int((2 * this.secondDiv2))
this.secondInst = secondInstExpr
this.secondInstFlag = true
return this.secondInst
proc paddedSecond(this: DosDatetime_Time): string =
if this.paddedSecondInstFlag:
return this.paddedSecondInst
let paddedSecondInstExpr = string(($(if this.second <= 9: "0" else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.second))))
this.paddedSecondInst = paddedSecondInstExpr
this.paddedSecondInstFlag = true
return this.paddedSecondInst
proc paddedMinute(this: DosDatetime_Time): string =
if this.paddedMinuteInstFlag:
return this.paddedMinuteInst
let paddedMinuteInstExpr = string(($(if this.minute <= 9: "0" else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.minute))))
this.paddedMinuteInst = paddedMinuteInstExpr
this.paddedMinuteInstFlag = true
return this.paddedMinuteInst
proc paddedHour(this: DosDatetime_Time): string =
if this.paddedHourInstFlag:
return this.paddedHourInst
let paddedHourInstExpr = string(($(if this.hour <= 9: "0" else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.hour))))
this.paddedHourInst = paddedHourInstExpr
this.paddedHourInstFlag = true
return this.paddedHourInst
proc fromFile*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Time], filename: string): DosDatetime_Time =
DosDatetime_Time.read(newKaitaiFileStream(filename), nil, nil)
proc read*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Date], io: KaitaiStream, root: KaitaiStruct, parent: DosDatetime): DosDatetime_Date =
template this: untyped = result
this = new(DosDatetime_Date)
let root = if root == nil: cast[DosDatetime](this) else: cast[DosDatetime](root)
this.io = io
this.root = root
this.parent = parent
let dayExpr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(5)
this.day = dayExpr
let monthExpr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(4)
this.month = monthExpr
let yearMinus1980Expr = this.io.readBitsIntLe(7)
this.yearMinus1980 = yearMinus1980Expr
proc year(this: DosDatetime_Date): int =
##[
only years from 1980 to 2107 (1980 + 127) can be represented
]##
if this.yearInstFlag:
return this.yearInst
let yearInstExpr = int((1980 + this.yearMinus1980))
this.yearInst = yearInstExpr
this.yearInstFlag = true
return this.yearInst
proc paddedDay(this: DosDatetime_Date): string =
if this.paddedDayInstFlag:
return this.paddedDayInst
let paddedDayInstExpr = string(($(if this.day <= 9: "0" else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.day))))
this.paddedDayInst = paddedDayInstExpr
this.paddedDayInstFlag = true
return this.paddedDayInst
proc paddedMonth(this: DosDatetime_Date): string =
if this.paddedMonthInstFlag:
return this.paddedMonthInst
let paddedMonthInstExpr = string(($(if this.month <= 9: "0" else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.month))))
this.paddedMonthInst = paddedMonthInstExpr
this.paddedMonthInstFlag = true
return this.paddedMonthInst
proc paddedYear(this: DosDatetime_Date): string =
if this.paddedYearInstFlag:
return this.paddedYearInst
let paddedYearInstExpr = string(($(if this.year <= 999: ($"0" & $(if this.year <= 99: ($"0" & $(if this.year <= 9: "0" else: "")) else: "")) else: "") & $intToStr(int(this.year))))
this.paddedYearInst = paddedYearInstExpr
this.paddedYearInstFlag = true
return this.paddedYearInst
proc fromFile*(_: typedesc[DosDatetime_Date], filename: string): DosDatetime_Date =
DosDatetime_Date.read(newKaitaiFileStream(filename), nil, nil)