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Python: Bug: TimePlugin timeZoneOffset and timeZoneName always return an empty string

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@jeevan1098 is already working on this.

Since Oct 15, 2026.

  • #14604 by @jeevan1098 — open

Assessment

Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Newbie friendliness
80/100
Issue type
Bug
Clarity
Clearly specified
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
python
Domain
ai

Research direction

The bug is in python/semantic_kernel/core_plugins/time_plugin.py, in time_zone_offset and time_zone_name, which call datetime.datetime.now() without a timezone and so get an empty %z and %Z. Read the existing unit tests for TimePlugin, where test_mock_now patches now with a UTC-aware value, and reproduce with the snippet in the issue. Done when both functions return the local offset and zone name for a naive-clock call, and a test covers that path without the aware-UTC mock.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

python triage

Describe the bug

TimePlugin.timeZoneOffset and TimePlugin.timeZoneName always return an empty string.

Where

python/semantic_kernel/core_plugins/time_plugin.py:

@kernel_function(description="Get the current time zone offset", name="timeZoneOffset")
def time_zone_offset(self) -> str:
    """... {{time.timeZoneOffset}} => -08:00"""
    now = datetime.datetime.now()
    return now.strftime("%z")

@kernel_function(description="Get the current time zone name", name="timeZoneName")
def time_zone_name(self) -> str:
    """... {{time.timeZoneName}} => PST"""
    now = datetime.datetime.now()
    return now.strftime("%Z")

datetime.datetime.now() without a tz argument returns a naive datetime. For a naive datetime strftime("%z") and strftime("%Z") return "".

The existing unit tests do not catch this because they patch datetime.datetime.now to return a timezone-aware UTC value (test_mock_now), which never happens in real use.

To reproduce

Checked on current main (1b1f64b98), Python 3.13, Windows, local zone US Eastern.

import datetime
from semantic_kernel.core_plugins.time_plugin import TimePlugin

t = TimePlugin()
print(repr(t.time_zone_offset()), repr(t.time_zone_name()))
now = datetime.datetime.now().astimezone()
print(repr(now.strftime("%z")), repr(now.strftime("%Z")))

Actual:

'' ''
'-0400' 'Eastern Daylight Time'

A prompt template such as Time zone: {{time.timeZoneName}} ({{time.timeZoneOffset}}) renders as Time zone: ().

Expected

Both functions return the local zone offset and name. Using datetime.datetime.now().astimezone() gives an aware datetime in the local zone, so %z and %Z are filled.

I have a fix with tests ready and will open a PR for this.

Platform

  • Language: Python
  • Source: main branch of the repository (1b1f64b98)
Dominant language
C#
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