GNU bug report logs - #6897
date -d '1991-04-14 +1 day' fails

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Message #28 received at 6897 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Alan Curry <pacman-cu <at> kosh.dhis.org>
Cc: 6897 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#6897: date -d '1991-04-14 +1 day' fails
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:26:05 -0700

On 08/23/2010 02:59 PM, Alan Curry wrote:
> date: invalid date `4/14/1991'
>
> which is a lie. 4/14/1991 is not an invalid date.

It is an invalid date, under the assumption
that dates without times refer to the time 00:00:00
on that date.  This assumption has been in the software
for ages, and explains, for example, why
"date -d '2010-01-01 25 hours'" reports 01:00 the
next day.  No doubt this could all be better documented,
but there's nothing unreasonable per se about the
assumption.

> Bonus thought: the "date" command is misnamed.

"time" was taken.  At this late date (:-) it's not
likely that the names will be changed.

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