           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 param-
           eter specifies. The now parameter is there and should hold
           the  current time to allow the datestring to specify rela-
           tive 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 immaterial.  A date string may contain many fla-
           vors 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.
                   Syntax 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
                   `Tuesday',  `Wednes' for `Wednesday' and `Thur' or
                   `Thurs' for `Thursday' are also allowed.
                   move forward supplementary weeks.  It is best used
                   in expression like `third monday'.  In  this  con-
                   text, `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 `yester-
                   day' 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
           Carolina  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!