Re: ITL library & kprayertime

[Thamer Mahmoud <neokuwait at myrealbox dot com>]

abdulhaq writes:
 > assalaamu `alaykum
 > 
 > I'm incorporating the ITL algorithm into kprayertime (I've done 90% of the 
 > integration but I want to let it bed in for a bit first) and noticed that the 
 > maghrib time seems a few minutes early compared to other algorithms I've 
 > found (and which may be wrong). Can anyone confirm for me just how sound the 
 > astronomical calculation software is in ITL, and is it OK to be released to 
 > the public?
 > 
 > wassalaam
 > abdulhaq


Salam,

There are many factors that might produce diffenreces between the
tools that you have tested and the ITL. Since the ITL library (and
maybe the other tools as well, I'm not sure) uses a very common
Sunrise and Sunset formula, I suppose that these differences in
results are due for some other "side factors". Such as:

* leap or non-leap year awareness.
* differences in the default astronomical/math values used.
* Excessive or bad rounding.
* lat/long transformations (deg to rad...dms to dec ...etc.)

Please provide the names of these tools and a specific location values
where you know, for fact, that these tools provide more accurate
Maghrib prayer times than the ITL. Inshallah, I will look into this,
and I will also have another look at handling the "side factors" in
the ITL as well.

On whether it is OK to be released to the public, I'm biased ;), but
in my experience the library does produce accurate results, so the answer
is yes.

If you have any more questions, bug reports, or feature suggestions,
let us know.

Regards,
Thamer Mahmoud