strctoposix#

Purpose#

Converts string dates to a matrix containing dates in POSIX date/time format, using the BSD strftime format specifiers.

Format#

d = strctoposix(x, fmt)#

Parameters:

x (NxK string array) – dates
fmt (string or ExE conformable string array) – containing strftime date/time format characters.

Returns:

d (NxK date variable) – displaying the date in the fmt format and containing the dates in POSIX format (seconds since the Jan 1, 1970).

Examples#

Example 1#

print strctoposix("2012/06/23", "%Y/%m/%d");

produces the output:

        X1
2012/06/23

To see the date in seconds since Jan 1, 1970, you can use the asmatrix() function.

print asmatrix(strctoposix("2012/06/23", "%Y/%m/%d"));

1340409600

Example 2#

Convert a string to a date variable and then change the date format.

dt = strctoposix("1945-11-22 18:36:29", "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S");
print dt;

produces the output:

              X1
1945-11-22 18:36

Now change the date format that is printed.

dt = asdate(dt, "%a, %b %d");
print dt;

         X1
Thu, Nov 22

Now change the variable name:

dt = asdf(dt, "day");
print dt;

        day
Thu, Nov 22

Example 3#

print strctoposix("January 29, 1973 at  4:19 PM", "%B %d, %Y at %l:%M %p");

produces the output:

                          X1
January 29, 1973 at  4:19 PM

Example 4#

ds = "Oct 23, 2007" $| "Feb 16, 2008";
s = strctoposix(ds, "%b %d, %Y");

produces s equal to:

          X1
Oct 23, 2007
Feb 16, 2008

Example 5#

ds = "10/23/07 20:45:42" $| "02/16/08 14:32:22";
s = strctoposix(ds, "%x %X");

produces s equal to:

               X1
10/23/07 20:45:42
02/16/08 14:32:22

Remarks#

To change the printed date format, use asdate().
To view the date in seconds since Jan 1, 1970, use asmatrix().
The following format specifiers are supported:

%A	The full weekday name.
%a	The abbreviated weekday name.
%B	The full month name.
%b, or %h	The abbreviated month name.
%C	The century (a year divided by 100 and truncated to an integer) as a decimal number (00-99).
%c	The locale’s appropriate date and time representation.
%D	The date format “%m/%d/%y”.
%d	The day of month as a decimal number (01-31).
%e	The day of month as a decimal number (1-31); single digits are preceded by a blank.
%F	The date format “%Y-%m-%d”.
%G	The ISO 8601 year with century as a decimal number.
%g	The ISO 8601 year without century as a decimal number (00-99).
%H	The hour (24-hour clock) as a decimal number (00-23).
%I	The hour (12-hour clock) as a decimal number (01-12).
%j	The day of the year as a decimal number (001-366).
%k	The hour (24-hour clock) as a decimal number (0-23); single digits are preeded by a blank.
%l	The hour (12-hour clock) as a decimal number (1-12); single digits are preeded by a blank.
%M	The minute as a decimal number (00-59).
%m	The month as a decimal number (01-12).
%n	A newline.
%p	The locale’s equivalent of either “AM” or “PM”.
%R	The time in the format “%H:%M”.
%r	The locale’s representation of 12-hour clock time using AM/PM notation.
%S	The second as a decimal number (00-60). The range of seconds is (00-60) instead of (00-59) to allow for the periodic occurrence of leap seconds.
%s	The number of seconds since the Epoch, UTC.
%T	The time in the format “%H:%M:%S”.
%t	A tab.
%U	The week number of the year (Sunday as the first day of the week) as a decimal number (00-53).
%u	The weekday (Monday as the first day of the week) as a decimal number (1-7).
%V	The week number of the year (Monday as the first day of the week) as a decimal number (01-53). If the week containing January 1 has four or more days in the new year, then it is week 1; otherwise it is week 53 of the previous year, and the next week is week 1.
%v	The date in the format “%e-%b-%Y”.
%W	The week number of the year (Monday as the first day of the week) as a decimal number (00-53).
%w	The weekday (Sunday as the first day of the week) as a decimal number (0-6).
%X	The locale’s appropriate time representation.
%x	The locale’s appropriate date representation.
%Y	The year with century as a decimal number.
%y	The year without century as a decimal number (00-99).
%q	The quarter, derived from the month. (1-4)
%Z	The time zone name, or by the empty string if this is not determinable.
%%	The ‘%’ sign.