4.7 Date/Time Format

Columns that provide date and time information conforming to specified rules and formatting requirements ensure clarity, accuracy, and ease of interpretation for both humans and systems.

Column conforming to DateTimeFormat attribute MUST adhere to the following requirements:

• FOCUS dataset column MUST be expressed in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to avoid ambiguity and ensure consistency across different time zones.
• FOCUS dataset column MUST conform to the ISO 8601 standard, which provides a globally recognized format for representing dates and times (see ISO 8601-1:2019 governing document for details).
• When FOCUS dataset column represents a specific moment in time, it MUST adhere to the following requirements:
  • FOCUS dataset column MUST use the extended ISO 8601 format with UTC offset (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ).
  • FOCUS dataset column MUST include both the date and time components, separated with the letter T.
  • FOCUS dataset column MUST use two-digit hours (HH), minutes (mm), and seconds (ss).
  • FOCUS dataset column MUST end with the ISO 8601 UTC designator Z.

Rules and formatting requirements for date/time-related columns appearing in a FOCUS dataset.