struct tm *getdate(const char *string);
extern int getdate_err;
#include <time.h>
int getdate_r(const char *string, struct tm *res);
Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
getdate():
In contrast to strptime(3), (which has a format argument), getdate() uses the formats found in the file whose full pathname is given in the environment variable DATEMSK. The first line in the file that matches the given input string is used for the conversion.
The matching is done case insensitively. Superfluous whitespace, either in the pattern or in the string to be converted, is ignored.
The conversion specifications that a pattern can contain are those given for strptime(3). One more conversion specification is specified in POSIX.1-2001:
When %Z is given, the structure containing the broken-down time is initialized with values corresponding to the current time in the given timezone. Otherwise, the structure is initialized to the broken-down time corresponding to the current local time (as by a call to localtime(3)).
When only the day of the week is given, the day is taken to be the first such day on or after today.
When only the month is given (and no year), the month is taken to be the first such month equal to or after the current month. If no day is given, it is the first day of the month.
When no hour, minute and second are given, the current hour, minute and second are taken.
If no date is given, but we know the hour, then that hour is taken to be the first such hour equal to or after the current hour.
getdate_r() is a GNU extension that provides a reentrant version of getdate(). Rather than using a global variable to report errors and a static buffer to return the broken down time, it returns errors via the function result value, and returns the resulting broken-down time in the caller-allocated buffer pointed to by the argument res.
On success getdate_r() returns 0; on error it returns one of the error numbers shown below.
| Interface | Attribute | Value |
| getdate() | Thread safety | MT-Unsafe race:getdate env locale |
| getdate_r() | Thread safety | MT-Safe env locale |
$ TFILE=$PWD/tfile
$ echo '%A' > $TFILE # Full name of the day of the week
$ echo '%T' >> $TFILE # ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD)
$ echo '%F' >> $TFILE # Time (HH:MM:SS)
$ date
$ export DATEMSK=$TFILE
$ ./a.out Tuesday '2009-12-28' '12:22:33'
Sun Sep 7 06:03:36 CEST 2008
Call 1 ("Tuesday") succeeded:
tm_sec = 36
tm_min = 3
tm_hour = 6
tm_mday = 9
tm_mon = 8
tm_year = 108
tm_wday = 2
tm_yday = 252
tm_isdst = 1
Call 2 ("2009-12-28") succeeded:
tm_sec = 36
tm_min = 3
tm_hour = 6
tm_mday = 28
tm_mon = 11
tm_year = 109
tm_wday = 1
tm_yday = 361
tm_isdst = 0
Call 3 ("12:22:33") succeeded:
tm_sec = 33
tm_min = 22
tm_hour = 12
tm_mday = 7
tm_mon = 8
tm_year = 108
tm_wday = 0
tm_yday = 250
tm_isdst = 1
int
main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
struct tm *tmp;
for (int j = 1; j < argc; j++) {
tmp = getdate(argv[j]);
if (tmp == NULL) {
printf("Call %d failed; getdate_err = %d\n",
j, getdate_err);
continue;
}
printf("Call %d (\"%s\") succeeded:\n", j, argv[j]);
printf(" tm_sec = %d\n", tmp->tm_sec);
printf(" tm_min = %d\n", tmp->tm_min);
printf(" tm_hour = %d\n", tmp->tm_hour);
printf(" tm_mday = %d\n", tmp->tm_mday);
printf(" tm_mon = %d\n", tmp->tm_mon);
printf(" tm_year = %d\n", tmp->tm_year);
printf(" tm_wday = %d\n", tmp->tm_wday);
printf(" tm_yday = %d\n", tmp->tm_yday);
printf(" tm_isdst = %d\n", tmp->tm_isdst);
}