What data type to use for timestamps?

• int?
• int32_t?
• uint64_t?
• int64_t?

Why not int32_t?

• Overflow in January 19th, 2038
  • Similar to y2k (dates went from 99 to 00)
  • Cost $300B - 600B to update legacy systems
• int64_t provides a range of 292 billion years

Why used signed instead of unsigned?

• Prevent underflow
  • Handles negative nums from clock jitter (Time A - Time B)
  • Crashes when unsigned integer wraps around to 18.4 quintillion)
• Historical dates
  • Unsigned types are strictly limited to the future.
  • Represent time before the Unix Epoch (January 1, 1970)

Why Senior C++ Engineers Never Use int for Time

How a Single int Can Crash Your C++ Code in 2038

The 2038 Bug: Why int64_t is the Only Safe Choice in C++

The Only Safe C++ Choice for Timestamps is int64_t

Why int64_t is the Only Safe Choice in C++

int vs int64_t: Avoiding the Silent C++ Gotcha