docker logs --since '2013-01-02T13:23:37' doesn't mean the engine api accepts strings, the docker cli itself converts the string into unix epoch.

• https://github.com/moby/moby/blob/master/api/swagger.yaml declares the type as type: "integer"
• docker engine used https://github.com/moby/moby/blob/master/api/types/time/timestamp.go#L113 to parse since parameters
• it can be verified by setting "debug":true in /etc/docker/daemon.json and run

docker logs --since "2018-12-03T10:15:30+01:00" 7a72c45e2362
#then check /var/log/messages
time="2018-11-26T22:11:04.498966864-08:00" level=debug msg="Calling GET /v1.30/containers/7a72c45e2362/logs?since=1543828530.000000000&stderr=1&stdout=1&tail=all"

I think we need undo the PR

ok

I have a container test setup where I need logs within a fraction of a second. What do you think the best approach for this is?

The API allows for more than just integers ( GET /v1.30/containers/7a72c45e2362/logs?since=1543828530.000000000&stderr=1&stdout=1&tail=all). I don't know if a long would work

my 2 cents FYI:
keep existing api unchanged and introduce new one e.g. withNanoSeconds in LogContainerCmd for the nano part and update LogContainerCmdExec to set since using "sinceSeconds.nanoSeconds"

How docker cli handle this?
Could you reopen PR to see that it's still actual? I revert it for the next discussions. docker-java needs have correct model, but can provide additional things.

The Docker CLI uses the moby client:
https://github.com/moby/moby/blob/master/client/container_logs.go

Which parses the timestamp before making the call to Docker API:
https://github.com/moby/moby/blob/852542b3976754f62232f1fafca7fd35deeb1da3/api/types/time/timestamp.go#L26

The final format: Sprintf("%d.%09d", t.Unix(), int64(t.Nanosecond()))

As @fengxx suggested, adding a new method would make sense. Maybe name it withSinceNanoSeconds(Integer) so it is clear it isn't related to a potential until query parameter.