Data Contract Specification v1.2.0

Time Data Type Example

Overview

This example demonstrates the usage of the new time data type introduced in Data Contract Specification v1.2.0. The time data type is specifically designed for storing time values without date information, making it perfect for business hours, schedules, and time-based data.

Note: The time data type may not be supported by all server types. Please check your specific data platform's documentation for compatibility.

Data Contract Details

ID: time-demo
Title: Time Data Type Example
Version: 1.0.0
Owner: Data Contract Team

Model: business_hours

This model demonstrates how to use the time data type for business hours and schedules.

location_id

type: string

Unique identifier for the business location

Examples:

"loc_001"

"loc_002"

opening_time

type: time

Daily opening time for the business

Examples:

"09:00:00"

"08:30:00"

closing_time

type: time

Daily closing time for the business

Examples:

"17:00:00"

"21:00:00"

lunch_start

type: time

Start time of lunch break

Examples:

"12:00:00"

"12:30:00"

lunch_end

type: time

End time of lunch break

Examples:

"13:00:00"

"13:30:00"

Model: shift_schedules

This model demonstrates time data type usage for employee shift schedules.

shift_start

type: time

Start time of the employee's shift

Examples:

"08:00:00"

"16:00:00"

shift_end

type: time

End time of the employee's shift

Examples:

"16:00:00"

"00:00:00"

Sample Data

Business Hours CSV Example:

location_id,location_name,opening_time,closing_time,lunch_start,lunch_end

"loc_001","Downtown Store","09:00:00","17:00:00","12:00:00","13:00:00"

"loc_002","Mall Branch","08:30:00","21:00:00","12:30:00","13:30:00"

"loc_003","24/7 Store","00:00:00","23:59:59",,

Shift Schedules CSV Example:

employee_id,shift_start,shift_end,break_start,break_end

"emp_001","08:00:00","16:00:00","12:00:00","13:00:00"

"emp_002","16:00:00","00:00:00","20:00:00","21:00:00"

"emp_003","00:00:00","08:00:00",,

Time Data Type Characteristics

Format: Typically follows ISO 8601 time format (HH:MM:SS)
No Date Information: Contains only time components, no date
24-hour Format: Uses 24-hour clock format
Optional Seconds: Can include or exclude seconds based on precision needs

Use Cases

Business Operations

Store opening and closing hours
Service availability times
Break and lunch schedules
Operating hours for different days

Employee Management

Shift start and end times
Break periods
Work schedule definitions
Time tracking data

Event Scheduling

Meeting start and end times
Event schedules
Appointment times
Class schedules

Transportation

Departure and arrival times
Bus and train schedules
Flight times
Delivery time windows

Comparison with Other Time-Related Types

Data Type	Description	Example
`time`	Time only, no date	"09:00:00"
`date`	Date only, no time	"2024-01-15"
`timestamp`	Date and time with timezone	"2024-01-15T09:00:00Z"

Testing

You can test this data contract using the Data Contract CLI:

datacontract test examples/time-example/datacontract.yaml

Important: When using the time data type, ensure your data processing tools and pipelines are compatible with time-only data. Some data platforms may require specific configurations or have limitations when working with time data types.