NAME

     curl_getdate  -  Convert an date in a ASCII string to number
     of seconds since January 1, 1970


SYNOPSIS

     #include <curl/curl.h>

     time_t curl_getdate(char *datestring, time_t *now );


DESCRIPTION

     This function returns the number of  seconds  since  January
     1st  1970, for the date and time that the datestring parame­
     ter specifies. The now parameter is there  and  should  hold
     the current time to allow the datestring to specify relative
     dates/times. Read further in the date string parser  section
     below.


PARSING DATES AND TIMES

     A  "date" is a string, possibly empty, containing many items
     separated by whitespace.  The whitespace may be omitted when
     no  ambiguity  arises.  The empty string means the beginning
     of today (i.e., midnight).  Order of the  items  is  immate­
     rial.  A date string may contain many flavors of items:

     calendar date items
             This can be specified in a number of different ways.
             Including 1970-09-17, 70-9-17, 70-09-17, 9/17/72, 24
             September 1972, 24 Sept 72, 24 Sep 72, Sep 24, 1972,
             24-sep-72, 24sep72.  The year can also  be  omitted,
             for example: 9/17 or "sep 17".

     time of the day items
             This  string specifies the time on a given day. Syn­
             tax  supported  includes:  18:19:0,  18:19,  6:19pm,
             18:19-0500 (for specifying the time zone as well).

     time zone items
             Specifies  international  time zone. There are a few
             acronyms  supported,  but  in  general  you   should
             instead  use  the specific realtive time compared to
             UTC. Supported formats include: -1200, MST, +0100.

     day of the week items
             Specifies a day of the week. If  this  is  mentioned
             alone it means that day of the week in the future.

             Days  of  the week may be spelled out in full: `Sun­
             day', `Monday', etc or they may  be  abbreviated  to
             their  first three letters, optionally followed by a
             period.  The special abbreviations `Tues' for `Tues­
             day', `Wednes' for `Wednesday' and `Thur' or `Thurs'
             for `Thursday' are also allowed.
             A number may precede a day of the week item to  move
             forward  supplementary  weeks.   It  is best used in
             expression like `third monday'.   In  this  context,
             `last  DAY'  or  `next DAY' is also acceptable; they
             move one week before or after the day  that  DAY  by
             itself would represent.

     relative items
             A  relative item adjusts a date (or the current date
             if  none)  forward  or  backward.   Example   syntax
             includes:  "1  year",  "1  year  ago",  "2 days", "4
             weeks".

             The string `tomorrow' is worth one day in the future
             (equivalent  to  `day'),  the  string `yesterday' is
             worth one day in the past (equivalent to `day ago').

     pure numbers
             If the decimal number is of the form YYYYMMDD and no
             other calendar date item appears before  it  in  the
             date  string,  then  YYYY is read as the year, MM as
             the month number and DD as the day of the month, for
             the specified calendar date.


RETURN VALUE

     This  function  returns zero when it fails to parse the date
     string. Otherwise  it  returns  the  number  of  seconds  as
     described.


AUTHORS

     Originally     written     by     Steven     M.     Bellovin
     <smb@research.att.com> while at the University of North Car­
     olina  at  Chapel Hill.  Later tweaked by a couple of people
     on   Usenet.    Completely   overhauled   by    Rich    $alz
     <rsalz@bbn.com>  and Jim Berets <jberets@bbn.com> in August,
     1990.


SEE ALSO




BUGS

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