Timestamps and time zone handling
ExpertWork with UTC storage, local display, and FileMaker's ConvertLocalToUTC function to build solutions that are correct across time zones.
What you'll learn
- How FileMaker stores timestamps and why local time causes problems in multi-region solutions
- How to convert between local and UTC with ConvertLocalToUTC and ConvertUTCToLocal
- How to store UTC and display local time in a calculation field
FileMaker stores timestamps in local time — the time zone of the machine that created the record. In multi-region solutions, this causes records to appear at different times depending on where the viewer is. Storing in UTC and converting to local time for display is the only reliable approach.
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The local-time storage problem
When a user in Chicago creates a record at 3 PM, FileMaker stores "3:00 PM". A user in London sees the same field and also reads "3:00 PM" — but it was actually 9 PM London time. Timestamps have no implicit time zone.
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