Time::ParseDate(3)					User Contributed Perl Documentation					Time::ParseDate(3)

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 ambigueous, assume past
	       PREFER_FUTURE -> when year or day of week is ambigueous, 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>.

LICENSE

       Copyright (C) 1996-2006 David Muir Sharnoff.  License hereby granted for anyone to use, modify or redistribute this module at their own
       risk.  Please feed useful changes back to muir@idiom.com.

perl v5.12.1							    2006-08-15							Time::ParseDate(3)