HPUX getdate[3c]
getdate(3C) getdate(3C)
NAME
getdate() - convert user format date and time
SYNOPSIS
#include <time.h>
struct tm *getdate(const char *string);
extern int getdate_err;
DESCRIPTION
getdate() converts user definable date and/or time specifications
pointed to by string into a struct tm. The structure declaration is
in the <time.h> header file (see ctime(3C)).
User-supplied templates are used to parse and interpret the input
string. The templates are text files created by the user and
identified via the environment variable DATEMSK. DATEMSK should be
set to indicate the full pathname of the template file. The first
line in the template that matches the input specification is used for
interpretation and conversion into the internal time format. Upon
successful completion, getdate() returns a pointer to a struct tm;
otherwise, it returns NULL and the external variable getdate_err is
set to indicate the error.
The following field descriptors are supported:
%% same as %
%a abbreviated weekday name
%A full weekday name
%b abbreviated month name
%B full month name
%c locale's appropriate date and time representation
%d day of the month (01 through 31; the leading 0 is
optional)
%e same as %d
%D date as %m/%d/%y
%h abbreviated month name
%H hour (00 through 23)
%I hour (01 through 12)
%m month number (01 through 12)
%M minute (00 through 59)
%n same as \n
%p locale's equivalent of either AM or PM
%r time as %I:%M:%S %p
%R time as %H:%M
%S seconds (00 through 59)
%t insert a tab
%T time as %H:%M:%S
%w weekday number (Sunday = 0 through Saturday = 6)
%x locale's appropriate date representation
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%X locale's appropriate time representation
%y year without century (00 through 99)
%Y year as ccyy (e.g., 1986)
%Z time zone name or no characters if no time zone exists
Month and weekday names can consist of any combination of uppercase
and lowercase letters. The user can request that the input date or
time specification be in a specific language by setting the LC_TIME
category (see setlocale(3C)).
For descriptors that allow leading zeros, leading zeros are optional;
not required. However, the number of digits used for those
descriptors must not exceed two, including leading zeros. Extra
whitespace in either the template file or in string is ignored.
The field descriptors %c, %x, and %X are not supported if they include
unsupported field descriptors.
The following example shows the possible contents of a template:
%m
%A %B %d, %Y, %H:%M:%S
%A
%B
%m/%d/%y %I %p
%d,%m,%Y %H:%M
at %A the %dst of %B in %Y
run job at %I %p, %B %dnd
%A den %d. %B %Y %H.%M Uhr
The following are examples of valid input specifications for the above
template:
getdate("10/1/87 4 PM");
getdate("Friday");
getdate("Friday September 18, 1987, 10:30:30");
getdate("24,9,1986 10:30");
getdate("at monday the 1st of december in 1986");
getdate("run job at 3 PM, december 2nd");
If the LC_TIME category is set to a German locale that includes
freitag as a weekday name and oktober as a month name, the following
would be valid:
getdate("freitag den 10. oktober 1986 10.30 Uhr");
This example shows how local date and time specification can be
defined in the template:
box; c | c lB | lB lf4 | lf4 . Invocation Line in Template
_ getdate("11/27/86") %m/%d/%y getdate("27.11.86") %d.%m.%y
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getdate("86-11-27") %y-%m-%d getdate("Friday 12:00:00") %A
%H:%M:%S
The following rules apply when converting the input specification into
the internal format:
o If only the weekday is given, today is assumed if the given
day is equal to the current day, and next week if it is less.
o If only the month is given, the current month is assumed if
the given month is equal to the current month, and next year
if it is less and no year is given (the first day of the month
is assumed if no day is given).
o If no hour, minute and second are given, the current hour,
minute and second are assumed.
o If no date is given, today is assumed if the given hour is
greater than the current hour and tomorrow is assumed if it is
less.
The following examples help to illustrate the above rules assuming
that the current date is Mon Sep 22 12:19:47 EDT 1986, and the LC_TIME
category is set to the default ``C'' locale.
box tab(;); cB | cB | cB cB | cB | cB lf4p+1 |
lf4p+1 | l . ;Line in; Input;Template;Date _ Mon;%a;Mon Sep 22
12:19:47 EDT 1986 Sun;%a;Sun Sep 28 12:19:47 EDT 1986 Fri;%a;Fri
Sep 26 12:19:47 EDT 1986 September;%B;Mon Sep 1 12:19:47 EDT 1986
January;%B;Thu Jan 1 12:19:47 EST 1987 December;%B;Mon Dec 1
12:19:47 EST 1986 Sep Mon;%b %a;Mon Sep 1 12:19:47 EDT 1986 Jan
Fri;%b %a;Fri Jan 2 12:19:47 EST 1987 Dec Mon;%b %a;Mon Dec 1
12:19:47 EST 1986 Jan Wed 1989;%b %a %Y;Wed Jan 4 12:19:47 EST
1989 Fri 9;%a %H;Fri Sep 26 09:00:00 EDT 1986 Feb 10:30;%b
%H:%S;Sun Feb 1 10:30:00 EST 1987 10:30;%H:%M;Tue Sep 23 10:30:00
EDT 1986 13:30;%H:%M;Mon Sep 22 13:30:00 EDT 1986
ERRORS
Upon failure, getdate() returns NULL and the variable getdate_err is
set to indicate the error.
The following is a complete list of the getdate_err settings and their
interpretation:
1 the DATEMSK environment variable is null or undefined,
2 the template file cannot be opened for reading,
3 failed to get file status information,
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getdate(3C) getdate(3C)
4 the template file is not a regular file,
5 an error is encountered while reading the template file,
6 memory allocation failed (not enough memory available),
7 there is no line in the template that matches the input,
8 invalid input specification (example: February 31).
SEE ALSO
ctime(3C), ctype(3C), setlocale(3C), strftime(3C).
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