DateTime::parse_from_str not equivalent to TimeZone::datetime_from_str

[Mark-Simulacrum]

DateTime::parse_from_str will parse Mon Mar 14 08:32:45 2016 -0700, but TimeZone::datetime_from_str will not.

Relevant IRC conversation starts here: https://botbot.me/mozilla/rust-tools/2016-08-26/?msg=71963735&page=1

[pitdicker]

The irc logs are no longer available. But I think the issue is in how TimeZone::datetime_from_str works. From the documentation:
"If the to-be-parsed string includes an offset, it must match the offset of the TimeZone, otherwise an error will be returned."

So with TimeZone::datetime_from_str before parsing a string that includes an offset, you are expected to know the time zone. I.e. you have to know the offset before parsing a string as FixedOffset.

Also in the case of time zones like provided by chrono_tz parsing may fail even when you know the time zone, because the offset may have changed with a new revision of the time zone database.

I don't really see any use case where you would want to use TimeZone::datetime_from_str over DateTime::parse_from_str.

[djc]

I don't really see any use case where you would want to use TimeZone::datetime_from_str over DateTime::parse_from_str.

Should we deprecate the shit out of it?

[pitdicker]

🤣 With pleasure #1251.