NAME

Time::ParseDate -- date parsing both relative and absolute

SYNOPSIS

	use Time::ParseDate;
	$seconds_since_jan1_1970 = parsedate("12/11/94 2pm", NO_RELATIVE => 1)
	$seconds_since_jan1_1970 = parsedate("12/11/94 2pm", %options)

OPTIONS

Date parsing can also use options. The options are as follows:

	FUZZY	-> it's okay not to parse the entire date string
	NOW	-> the "current" time for relative times (defaults to time())
	ZONE	-> local timezone (defaults to $ENV{TZ})
	WHOLE	-> the whole input string must be parsed
	GMT	-> input time is assumed to be GMT, not localtime
	UK	-> prefer UK style dates (dd/mm over mm/dd)
	DATE_REQUIRED -> do not default the date
	TIME_REQUIRED -> do not default the time
	NO_RELATIVE -> input time is not relative to NOW
	TIMEFIRST -> try parsing time before date [not default]
	PREFER_PAST -> when year or day of week is ambiguous, assume past
	PREFER_FUTURE -> when year or day of week is ambiguous, assume future
	SUBSECOND -> parse fraction seconds
	VALIDATE -> only accept normal values for HHMMSS, YYMMDD.  Otherwise
		days like -1 might give the last day of the previous month.

DATE FORMATS RECOGNIZED

Absolute date formats

	Dow, dd Mon yy
	Dow, dd Mon yyyy
	Dow, dd Mon
	dd Mon yy
	dd Mon yyyy
	Month day{st,nd,rd,th}, year
	Month day{st,nd,rd,th}
	Mon dd yyyy
	yyyy/mm/dd
	yyyy-mm-dd	(usually the best date specification syntax)
	yyyy/mm
	mm/dd/yy
	mm/dd/yyyy
	mm/yy
	yy/mm      (only if year > 12, or > 31 if UK)
	yy/mm/dd   (only if year > 12 and day < 32, or year > 31 if UK)
	dd/mm/yy   (only if UK, or an invalid mm/dd/yy or yy/mm/dd)
	dd/mm/yyyy (only if UK, or an invalid mm/dd/yyyy)
	dd/mm      (only if UK, or an invalid mm/dd)

Relative date formats:

	count "days"
	count "weeks"
	count "months"
	count "years"
	Dow "after next"
	Dow "before last"
	Dow 			(requires PREFER_PAST or PREFER_FUTURE)
	"next" Dow
	"tomorrow"
	"today"
	"yesterday"
	"last" dow
	"last week"
	"now"
	"now" "+" count units
	"now" "-" count units
	"+" count units		
	"-" count units
	count units "ago"

Absolute time formats:

	hh:mm:ss[.ddd] 
	hh:mm 
	hh:mm[AP]M
	hh[AP]M
	hhmmss[[AP]M] 
	"noon"
	"midnight"

Relative time formats:

	count "minutes"		(count can be franctional "1.5" or "1 1/2")
	count "seconds"
	count "hours"
	"+" count units
	"+" count
	"-" count units
	"-" count
	count units "ago"

Timezone formats:

	[+-]dddd
	GMT[+-]d+
	[+-]dddd (TZN)
	TZN

Special formats:

	[ d]d/Mon/yyyy:hh:mm:ss [[+-]dddd]
	yy/mm/dd.hh:mm

DESCRIPTION

This module recognizes the above date/time formats. Usually a date and a time are specified. There are numerous options for controlling what is recognized and what is not.

The return code is always the time in seconds since January 1st, 1970 or undef if it was unable to parse the time.

If a timezone is specified it must be after the time. Year specifications can be tacked onto the end of absolute times.

If parsedate() is called from array context, then it will return two elements. On sucessful parses, it will return the seconds and what remains of its input string. On unsucessful parses, it will return undef and an error string.

EXAMPLES

	$seconds = parsedate("Mon Jan  2 04:24:27 1995");
	$seconds = parsedate("Tue Apr 4 00:22:12 PDT 1995");
	$seconds = parsedate("04.04.95 00:22", ZONE => PDT);
	$seconds = parsedate("Jan 1 1999 11:23:34.578", SUBSECOND => 1);
	$seconds = parsedate("122212 950404", ZONE => PDT, TIMEFIRST => 1);
	$seconds = parsedate("+3 secs", NOW => 796978800);
	$seconds = parsedate("2 months", NOW => 796720932);
	$seconds = parsedate("last Tuesday");
	$seconds = parsedate("Sunday before last");

	($seconds, $remaining) = parsedate("today is the day");
	($seconds, $error) = parsedate("today is", WHOLE=>1);

AUTHOR

David Muir Sharnoff <muir@idiom.com>.