Parse date time string with spirit

• Download testspirit1.zip - 6.16 KB

Introduction

This article include a sample show how to use boost spirit framework parse a date time string like "1999-01-20T00:01:22".

Background

The XML schema define the date time format like this "2000-01-30T00:10:20+1".

Using the code

First create your parser

struct myparser: public grammar<myparser>
{
  template <typename ScannerT>
  struct definition
  {
    definition(myparser const& self)
    {
      first = int_p[assign(self.date_.year_)] >> "-" >> int_p[assign(self.date_.month_)] 
      >> "-" >> int_p[assign(self.date_.day_)] >> "T" >> int_p[assign(self.date_.hour_)] 
      >> ":" >> int_p[assign(self.date_.minute_)] >> ":" >> int_p[assign(self.date_.second_)] ;
    }
    rule<ScannerT> first;
    rule<ScannerT> const&
    start() const { return first; }
  };
  myparser(date& d):date_(d){};
  date& date_;
};        

Then invoke the parser:

bool parse_date(char const* str, date& d)
{
  myparser p(d);
  return parse(str, p).full;
}      

Points of Interest

This parser can be improved to support more flexible format

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