This date thingy?

I have a variable in Indigo that I am trying to convert to a date. Here is the code:

Code: Select all

set last_rain to date (value of variable "WMlastrain")

The script editor will pop back with a dialog saying : Indigo got an error: Can't get date "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM".

Even if I

Code: Select all

set somevar to value of variable "WMlastrain" as string

then try to create a date from that I get the same error. What am I doing wrong?

[matt (support)]

I have a variable in Indigo that I am trying to convert to a date. Here is the code:

Code: Select all

set last_rain to date (value of variable "WMlastrain")

The script editor will pop back with a dialog saying : Indigo got an error: Can't get date "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM".

Even if I

Code: Select all

set somevar to value of variable "WMlastrain" as string

then try to create a date from that I get the same error. What am I doing wrong?

The problem is there is no built-in AppleScript function to coerce a string into a date. When compiling scripts hard coded time/date strings are automatically converted to date objects (you'll notice the format of the string changes based on your system time/date format prefs), but during runtime there isn't an automatic way to say, "convert this string (or variable holding a string) into a date."

I seem to recall seeing a AppleScript function that someone wrote to help handle this. I googled for it but didn't see it anywhere. Anyone have any code snippets to help with this?

regards,
matt

But if I

Code: Select all

set last_rain to date "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM"

then it works. Isn't "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM" a string?

[matt (support)]

But if I

Code: Select all

set last_rain to date "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM"

then it works. Isn't "Monday, Oct 20, 2003 4:04:06 PM" a string?

In this case, no. The AppleScript editor compiles that into a date object when you save the script. Try changing the "Monday" to "Mon", or the "October" to "10". Then, re-compile the script -- note it always reverts back to the original format. If it were a true literal string it wouldn't change.

regards,
matt

There was a suggestion over at Macscripter BBS to put it in a subroutine like this:

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on SubDate(TheString)
   return (date TheString) as date
end SubDate

I'll give it a try when I get home.

[matt (support)]

There was a suggestion over at Macscripter BBS to put it in a subroutine like this

Seems to work... There goes my theory. I wonder why it works in this case.