time-helper_skill

Overview

This skill provides fast, cross-platform time and timezone operations implemented in native PHP. It returns current time, converts between timezones, performs add/subtract calculations, lists timezones, and checks DST status without external services. The design prioritizes token efficiency and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux with PHP 7.4+.

How this skill works

I parse the user intent (now, convert, add/subtract, list, dst), extract parameters (time, timezone, offset), then run a small PHP script that uses DateTimeImmutable and DateTimeZone to produce results. Outputs are formatted for clarity and minimal colored-output calls are used for headers and final status to avoid CLI flicker.

When to use it

• Get the current local time for any IANA timezone (Asia/Tokyo, America/New_York, etc.).
• Convert a specific time between two timezones, including date rollovers and DST adjustments.
• Add or subtract hours, days, weeks, or months from a base time or now.
• List available timezones, optionally filtered by region (America, Europe, Asia).
• Check whether a timezone is currently observing daylight saving time and view UTC offset.

Best practices

• Provide full IANA timezone identifiers when possible (e.g., America/New_York) to avoid ambiguity.
• Keep colored-output calls minimal: one header and one final status call per operation to prevent CLI flicker.
• Validate input formats (use 24-hour or 12-hour with AM/PM) and prefer ISO-like date strings for conversions.
• Use the list command to discover exact timezone names if an input is rejected.
• Run basic tests locally (php time-helper.php now UTC, convert, add, list, dst) after installing or upgrading PHP.

Example use cases

• Ask "what time is it in Tokyo" to get current time, timezone name, and UTC offset.
• Convert a meeting time: "convert 3pm America/New_York to Asia/Tokyo" and get the converted time and date.
• Schedule calculations: "what is 30 days from now" to get an exact future date/time in UTC or a target timezone.
• Audit timezones: "list America" to see all America/* timezone identifiers and counts.
• Verify DST: "is Europe/Paris in daylight saving" to receive DST active status, offset, and abbreviation.