## 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

         Surely there are some, you tell me!