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Avoid using floating points during timestamp-datetime conversions - #591

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methane merged 4 commits into
msgpack:mainfrom
hakanakyurek:precise-datetime-conversion
Apr 19, 2024
Merged

Avoid using floating points during timestamp-datetime conversions#591
methane merged 4 commits into
msgpack:mainfrom
hakanakyurek:precise-datetime-conversion

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@hakanakyurek

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Right now, when we convert timestamp to datetime or datetime to timestamp, the library uses floating points to do the conversion. This introduces losses during the conversion as the datetime and timestamp datatypes do not support the same precision(nanoseconds).

For instance if we have a timestamp such as:
2024-04-16 08:43:09.420317+00:00
with the current implementation the nanoseconds in the resulting Timestamp object has 420316934 while it should be 420317000 instead.

or in this timestamp:
2024-04-16 08:43:09.400000+00:00
it has 400000095 nanoseconds instead of 400000000.

@hakanakyurekhakanakyurek changed the title Avoid using floaring points during timestamp-datetime conversionsAvoid using floating points during timestamp-datetime conversionsApr 18, 2024

@ThomasWaldmannThomasWaldmann left a comment

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LGTM, just a few nitpicks.

I assume that these tests fail without your changes?

Comment threadmsgpack/ext.py Outdated
:rtype: Timestamp
"""
return Timestamp.from_unix(dt.timestamp())
return Timestamp(seconds=int(dt.timestamp() // 1), nanoseconds=dt.microsecond * 10**3)

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That x // 1 feels strange.

Considering you use int() after that anyway, why do you need that?

Also: just use 1000 instead of 10**3?

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That x // 1 feels strange.

Considering you use int() after that anyway, why do you need that?

Yes, i overlooked that part completely, we dont need the floor division at all. I'll remove it.

Also: just use 1000 instead of 10**3?

we can of course use 1000 instead, its just that in the code that i checked, i either saw "10**x" or "1ex" and wanted follow that convention.

Comment threadmsgpack/ext.py Outdated
utc = datetime.timezone.utc
return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0, utc) + datetime.timedelta(seconds=self.to_unix())
return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0, utc) + datetime.timedelta(
seconds=self.seconds, microseconds=round(self.nanoseconds / 1e3)

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Just use 1000 instead of 1e3?

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I prefer // over round.

Consider "12:34:56.78". It is "12:34" or "12:34:56", not "12:35" nor "12:34:57".

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Just use 1000 instead of 1e3?

same as the previous comment, I just though "10**x" or "1ex" was the convention that was being used.

I prefer // over round.

Consider "12:34:56.78". It is "12:34" or "12:34:56", not "12:35" nor "12:34:57".

I'm not actually knowledgeable about whether there should be a round or not. The idea I had with the round is when working with a timestamp with nanosecond precision, lets say, "100,000,900" nanoseconds, I thought it should round to "100,001" microseconds, whereas "100,000,100" nanoseconds should be "100,000" microseconds.

With the case "12:34:56.78", I'm not sure whether it should "12:34:56" or "12:34:57", if rounding isn't the norm in these cases, we should definitely remove it and the tests related to it.

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The idea I had with the round is when working with a timestamp.

The year of 2024-10-01 is 2025?
The day of 2024-10-01 15:00:00 is 2024-10-02?
The hour of 15:34 is 16?

Despite what you explain it in natural language, "round down" is consistent in programming.

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https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/22/docs/api/java.base/java/time/Instant.html#toEpochMilli()

If this instant has greater than millisecond precision, then the conversion will drop any excess precision information as though the amount in nanoseconds was subject to integer division by one million.

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hmm i see, thanks a lot it makes more sense. Then i'll remove the rounding and tests related to it.

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2023-12-31 23:59:59.999999500 -- year 2023, date 2023-12-31.

After round half by micros:

2024-01-01 00:00:00.000000 -- year 2024, date 2024-01-01.

This is why most languages uses consistent "round down" for subseconds.
Consistency is important to avoid bugs. Every programmer should love consistency.

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yup of course, I didn't look at it like that when I was proposing the change. Again it makes more sense to round down instead as it would be more consistant as you said. Thanks for the explanation!

Comment threadtest/test_timestamp.py Outdated
t2 = Timestamp(1713256989, 420318123)
t3 = Timestamp(1713256989, 420318499)
t4 = Timestamp(1713256989, 420318501)
assert t2.to_datetime() == t3.to_datetime() != t4.to_datetime()

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Maybe just using 2 asserts would be simpler.

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definitely, we dont necessarily need to compare with t2 now i think of it. But these were to test the rounding specifically, if rounding is wrong way to go, these tests arent necessarily needed imo.

@hakanakyurek

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Exactly, the tests i added except line 100 should fail without the changes.

Comment threadmsgpack/ext.py Outdated
utc = datetime.timezone.utc
return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0, utc) + datetime.timedelta(seconds=self.to_unix())
return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0, utc) + datetime.timedelta(
seconds=self.seconds, microseconds=self.nanoseconds // 1e3

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Suggested change
seconds=self.seconds, microseconds=self.nanoseconds//1e3
seconds=self.seconds, microseconds=self.nanoseconds//1000

Comment threadmsgpack/ext.py Outdated
:rtype: Timestamp
"""
return Timestamp.from_unix(dt.timestamp())
return Timestamp(seconds=int(dt.timestamp()), nanoseconds=dt.microsecond * 10**3)

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Suggested change
returnTimestamp(seconds=int(dt.timestamp()), nanoseconds=dt.microsecond*10**3)
returnTimestamp(seconds=int(dt.timestamp()), nanoseconds=dt.microsecond*1000)

Comment threadtest/test_timestamp.py Outdated
ts = datetime.datetime(2024, 4, 16, 8, 43, 9, 420317, tzinfo=utc)
ts2 = datetime.datetime(2024, 4, 16, 8, 43, 9, 420318, tzinfo=utc)

assert Timestamp.from_datetime(ts2).nanoseconds - Timestamp.from_datetime(ts).nanoseconds == 1e3

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Suggested change
assertTimestamp.from_datetime(ts2).nanoseconds-Timestamp.from_datetime(ts).nanoseconds==1e3
assertTimestamp.from_datetime(ts2).nanoseconds-Timestamp.from_datetime(ts).nanoseconds==1000

Comment threadtest/test_timestamp.py Outdated
ts3 = datetime.datetime(2024, 4, 16, 8, 43, 9, 4256)
ts4 = datetime.datetime(2024, 4, 16, 8, 43, 9, 4257)
assert (
Timestamp.from_datetime(ts4).nanoseconds - Timestamp.from_datetime(ts3).nanoseconds == 1e3

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Suggested change
Timestamp.from_datetime(ts4).nanoseconds-Timestamp.from_datetime(ts3).nanoseconds==1e3
Timestamp.from_datetime(ts4).nanoseconds-Timestamp.from_datetime(ts3).nanoseconds==1000

@methane
methane merged commit e776722 into msgpack:mainApr 19, 2024
@methane

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thanks

@uyhauyha mentioned this pull request Apr 24, 2024
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3 participants

@hakanakyurek@methane@ThomasWaldmann