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

        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)

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.

        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
        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)

        count "days"
        count "weeks"
        count "months"
        count "years"
        Dow "after next"
        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"

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

        count "minutes"
        count "seconds"
        count "hours"
        "+" count units
        "+" count
        "-" count units
        "-" count
        count units "ago"

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

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

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 CWparsedate() 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 CWundef and an error string.

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

David Muir Sharnoff <muir@idiom.com>.

Copyright (C) 1996-1999 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.