todo.parse-date-phrase
Read a typed due date like "tomorrow", "next friday", "in 2 weeks" or "2026-10-01" as a date, relative to today.
1.0.0 · published 2026-10-03 by charlie · Anterra
Pinned by 53 tests, run in TypeScript, Python and Rust.
What it does
Reads what a person types into a due-date box, such as `tomorrow`, `next friday`, `in 2 weeks` or `2026-10-01`, and returns the date it names, counted from `today`. Returns null when the text is not a date phrase, so a form can say "I didn't understand that" without catching anything. It only throws when `today` itself is not a real ISO date (dates.add-days's message, e.g. `"28/09/2026" is not an ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD)`), or when the answer would fall outside 0001-9999.
`today` is an argument, not the clock: the caller passes the person's local date, so the answer is the same on every server and in every test.
For example
parseDatePhrase(today, 2026-09-28)→ 2026-09-28 today is todayparseDatePhrase(tod, 2026-09-28)→ 2026-09-28 tod is short for todayparseDatePhrase( TOMORROW , 2026-09-28)→ 2026-09-29 capitals and surrounding spaces are ignored
The function
The same function in TypeScript, Python and Rust, pinned by the same tests. Pick your language; the choice follows you around the registry.
export function parseDatePhrase(text: string, today: string): string | null
| text | string | what was typed, e.g. "due friday", "in 3 days", "next month" |
| today | date | the person's local date, which relative phrases count from |
| returns | date? | the date the whole phrase names, or null when it is not a date phrase |
Your code names it in one line, in the file that uses it
import { parseDatePhrase } from "#fune/todo.parse-date-phrase@^1";
Imports name this capability’s declared dependencies, which fune builds next to it in your project; each one links to its page.
import { addDays, daysInMonth } from "./dates_add_days.ts"; ← from dates.add-days ^1.0.0 · built alongside by fune
import { addMonths } from "./dates_add_months.ts"; ← from dates.add-months ^1.0.0 · built alongside by fune
import { dayOfWeek } from "./dates_day_of_week.ts"; ← from dates.day-of-week ^1.0.0 · built alongside by fune
// A Map, not an object literal, so "constructor" or "__proto__" is not a weekday.
const WEEKDAYS = new Map<string, number>([
["monday", 1], ["mon", 1],
["tuesday", 2], ["tue", 2], ["tues", 2],
["wednesday", 3], ["wed", 3],
["thursday", 4], ["thu", 4], ["thur", 4], ["thurs", 4],
["friday", 5], ["fri", 5],
["saturday", 6], ["sat", 6],
["sunday", 7], ["sun", 7],
]);
const NUMBER_WORDS = new Map<string, number>([
["a", 1], ["an", 1], ["one", 1], ["two", 2], ["three", 3], ["four", 4], ["five", 5],
["six", 6], ["seven", 7], ["eight", 8], ["nine", 9], ["ten", 10],
]);
const UNITS = new Map<string, string>([
["day", "day"], ["days", "day"], ["week", "week"], ["weeks", "week"],
["month", "month"], ["months", "month"], ["year", "year"], ["years", "year"],
]);
/** Upper-case ASCII letters only: "É" stays "É", so no other script can spell a keyword. */
function lowerAscii(text: string): string {
return text.replace(/[A-Z]/g, (c) => c.toLowerCase());
}
function splitWords(text: string): string[] {
return text.split(/[ \t\n\r\v\f]+/).filter((w) => w !== "");
}
function isDigits(text: string): boolean {
for (let i = 0; i < text.length; i++) {
const code = text.charCodeAt(i);
if (code < 48 || code > 57) return false;
}
return text.length > 0;
}
/** YYYY-MM-DD naming a day that exists; anything else is simply not a date phrase. */
function isRealDate(word: string): boolean {
if (word.length !== 10 || word[4] !== "-" || word[7] !== "-") return false;
const y = word.slice(0, 4), m = word.slice(5, 7), d = word.slice(8, 10);
if (!isDigits(y) || !isDigits(m) || !isDigits(d)) return false;
const year = Number(y), month = Number(m), day = Number(d);
return year >= 1 && month >= 1 && month <= 12 && day >= 1 && day <= daysInMonth(year, month);
}
/** 1 to 999 in ASCII digits without a leading zero, or a/an/one...ten. */
function count(word: string): number | null {
if (isDigits(word) && word.length <= 3 && word[0] !== "0") return Number(word);
return NUMBER_WORDS.get(word) ?? null;
}
/** Days from today to the next given weekday, 1 to 7: never today itself. */
function daysUntil(weekday: number, today: number): number {
return ((weekday - today + 6) % 7) + 1;
}
/**
* The date a typed phrase names, counted from `today`, or null when the
* whole text is not one of the phrases in the README. A weekday name is the
* next one strictly after today; "next <weekday>" is that day in next ISO
* week (Monday to Sunday). Months and years clamp to the month end.
*/
export function parseDatePhrase(text: string, today: string): string | null {
// addDays(x, 0) is the date check: it throws dates.add-days's message.
addDays(today, 0);
let words = splitWords(lowerAscii(text));
if (words.length > 1 && (words[0] === "on" || words[0] === "due")) words = words.slice(1);
const dow = dayOfWeek(today);
if (words.length === 1) {
const word = words[0];
if (word === "today" || word === "tod") return today;
if (word === "tomorrow" || word === "tmr" || word === "tmrw") return addDays(today, 1);
if (word === "yesterday") return addDays(today, -1);
if (word === "weekend") return dow >= 6 ? today : addDays(today, 6 - dow);
const weekday = WEEKDAYS.get(word);
if (weekday !== undefined) return addDays(today, daysUntil(weekday, dow));
return isRealDate(word) ? word : null;
}
if (words.length === 2) {
const [first, second] = words;
if (first === "this" && second === "weekend") return dow >= 6 ? today : addDays(today, 6 - dow);
if (first !== "next") return null;
const nextMonday = 8 - dow;
if (second === "week") return addDays(today, nextMonday);
if (second === "month") return addMonths(today.slice(0, 8) + "01", 1);
if (second === "year") return addMonths(today.slice(0, 5) + "01-01", 12);
const weekday = WEEKDAYS.get(second);
return weekday === undefined ? null : addDays(today, nextMonday + weekday - 1);
}
if (words.length === 3 && words[0] === "in") {
const n = count(words[1]);
const unit = UNITS.get(words[2]);
if (n === null || unit === undefined) return null;
if (unit === "day") return addDays(today, n);
if (unit === "week") return addDays(today, 7 * n);
if (unit === "month") return addMonths(today, n);
return addMonths(today, 12 * n);
}
return null;
}Install
fune build
With that line in your source, in a TypeScript project (language typescript in fune.project), fune build resolves it and its 3 dependencies, pins them in fune.lock, downloads only the TypeScript package of each, and builds the code above into your project’s .fune/build, one readable file per capability with a header linking back here. Or pin a range in fune.project and build in one step:
fune add todo.parse-date-phrase
The manifest, vectors and README with only the TypeScript implementation. Install it without the registry with fune add ./todo.parse-date-phrase-1.0.0-typescript.fune, or fetch it from a terminal with fune pull todo.parse-date-phrase@1.0.0:typescript.
The whole function, every language, is one file too: todo.parse-date-phrase-1.0.0.fune, 27,727 bytes, sha256 d450114d42ed52f5273b9e892f470087e1157482e503316c84b52862283d32bd. It installs into a project of any language.
Customise it in your app
The seams this capability offers. Put a marker directly above a function of your own and fune build wires it into the built code; the package on the registry is not changed, the built file’s header lists it under CUSTOMISED, and fune hooks lists every hook in the project. How hooks work.
before — your function gets the arguments and returns them, changed or not, or throws to refuse the call.
// fune: before todo.parse-date-phrase
after — your function gets the result and the arguments, and returns the final result.
// fune: after todo.parse-date-phrase
replace — inside this capability’s code only, calls to a dependency go to your function, with the same signature. Other capabilities that use it are unaffected; write in * to replace it everywhere.
// fune: replace dates.add-days in todo.parse-date-phrase
// fune: replace dates.add-months in todo.parse-date-phrase
// fune: replace dates.day-of-week in todo.parse-date-phrase
step — your function runs at a numbered point inside the function’s body, receives the in-scope values it names as parameters, and may return replacements. List the points with fune show todo.parse-date-phrase --steps.
// fune: step todo.parse-date-phrase after <n|label>
Tests
A version published now needs at least 8 tests for every function, and one that expects the error for each function that throws; the registry refuses it otherwise. fune verify --all runs each case in TypeScript, Python and Rust, and a project runs them again with fune verify. This page lists the cases; it does not run them. The exact JSON is vectors.json.
| Case | Arguments | Expected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| today is today | today, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-28 |
| tod is short for today | tod, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-28 |
| capitals and surrounding spaces are ignored | TOMORROW , 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-29 |
| tmrw is tomorrow | tmrw, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-29 |
| tmr is tomorrow | Tmr, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-29 |
| yesterday crosses back over a month end | yesterday, 2026-03-01 | → | 2026-02-28 |
| a weekday name is the next one: friday on a Monday | friday, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-02 |
| the same weekday is a week away, never today: friday on a Friday | Friday, 2026-10-02 | → | 2026-10-09 |
| a 3-letter weekday on that same weekday: mon on a Monday | mon, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-05 |
| thurs is Thursday | thurs, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-01 |
Show the other 43 tests
| Case | Arguments | Expected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| tues is Tuesday, and on a Monday that is tomorrow | tues, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-29 |
| sunday from a Saturday is the next day | sun, 2026-10-03 | → | 2026-10-04 |
| next week is Monday of next ISO week | next week, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-05 |
| next week on a Sunday is the very next day | next week, 2026-10-04 | → | 2026-10-05 |
| next friday on a Monday is in next week, not this week's Friday | next friday, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-09 |
| next sunday on a Sunday is 7 days on | next sunday, 2026-10-04 | → | 2026-10-11 |
| next month is the 1st of next month | next month, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-01 |
| next month from New Year's Eve is the 1st of January | next month, 2026-12-31 | → | 2027-01-01 |
| next year is 1 January of next year | next year, 2026-09-28 | → | 2027-01-01 |
| weekend on a Monday is the coming Saturday | weekend, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-03 |
| this weekend on a Saturday is today | this weekend, 2026-10-03 | → | 2026-10-03 |
| weekend on a Sunday is today, not next Saturday | weekend, 2026-10-04 | → | 2026-10-04 |
| in 3 days | in 3 days, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-01 |
| in a week | in a week, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-05 |
| in two weeks | in two weeks, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-12 |
| in 1 day, singular | in 1 day, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-29 |
| in 1 month from 31 January clamps to 28 February | in 1 month, 2026-01-31 | → | 2026-02-28 |
| in 1 month from 31 January 2028 is 29 February (leap year) | in 1 month, 2028-01-31 | → | 2028-02-29 |
| in a year from 29 February clamps to 28 February | in a year, 2028-02-29 | → | 2029-02-28 |
| in 2 months from 31 December is 28 February | in 2 months, 2026-12-31 | → | 2027-02-28 |
| in 999 days is the largest count | in 999 days, 2026-09-28 | → | 2029-06-23 |
| in 1000 days is too many: not a date phrase | in 1000 days, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| in 0 days is not a date phrase | in 0 days, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| a leading zero is not a count | in 03 days, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| an unknown unit is not a date phrase | in 3 lightyears, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| an ISO date is itself | 2026-10-01, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-01 |
| 29 February in a leap year is a real date | 2028-02-29, 2026-09-28 | → | 2028-02-29 |
| 30 February is not a date, and not an error | 2026-02-30, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| an ISO date in the past is allowed | 2020-01-01, 2026-09-28 | → | 2020-01-01 |
| due before a weekday | due friday, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-02 |
| on before an ISO date | on 2026-10-01, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-10-01 |
| due before in N days, with tabs and runs of spaces | Due in 2 days, 2026-09-28 | → | 2026-09-30 |
| on on its own is not a date phrase | on, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| the whole text must be the phrase | friday week, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| words around a phrase are not ignored | pay rent tomorrow, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| next on its own is not a date phrase | next, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| empty text is not a date phrase | , 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| whitespace only is not a date phrase | , 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| full-width letters are not ASCII and not a keyword | today, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| an object key is not a weekday | constructor, 2026-09-28 | → | — |
| today in day/month/year order is refused, even for a phrase that ignores it | 2026-10-01, 28/09/2026 | → | error: is not an ISO date |
| today that never existed is refused | today, 2026-02-30 | → | error: is not a real calendar date |
| tomorrow after 9999-12-31 is out of range | tomorrow, 9999-12-31 | → | error: outside the supported range |
More from the author
todo.parse-quick-add uses it to find the due date inside a whole quick-add line.
## Grammar
The whole text must be one phrase. Letters are matched case-insensitively (ASCII only: `TODAY` in full-width letters is not a keyword). Words are separated by one or more ASCII whitespace characters (space, tab, CR, LF, VT, FF), and whitespace at either end is ignored.
| Phrase | Means | Example, today Monday 2026-09-28 | | --- | --- | --- | | `today`, `tod` | today | 2026-09-28 | | `tomorrow`, `tmr`, `tmrw` | today + 1 day | 2026-09-29 | | `yesterday` | today - 1 day (a due date may be overdue) | 2026-09-27 | | a weekday: `monday`/`mon`, `tuesday`/`tue`/`tues`, `wednesday`/`wed`, `thursday`/`thu`/`thur`/`thurs`, `friday`/`fri`, `saturday`/`sat`, `sunday`/`sun` | the next such day strictly after today (1 to 7 days on) | `friday` = 2026-10-02; `monday` = 2026-10-05 | | `next week` | Monday of next ISO week | 2026-10-05 | | `next <weekday>` | that weekday in next ISO week (Monday to Sunday) | `next friday` = 2026-10-09 | | `next month` | the 1st of next month | 2026-10-01 | | `next year` | 1 January next year | 2027-01-01 | | `weekend`, `this weekend` | the coming Saturday; today if today is Saturday or Sunday | 2026-10-03 | | `in N day(s)` | today + N days | `in 3 days` = 2026-10-01 | | `in N week(s)` | today + 7N days | `in a week` = 2026-10-05 | | `in N month(s)` | today + N months, clamped to the month end (dates.add-months) | `in 1 month` from 2026-01-31 = 2026-02-28 | | `in N year(s)` | today + 12N months, clamped (29 Feb becomes 28 Feb) | `in a year` from 2028-02-29 = 2029-02-28 | | `YYYY-MM-DD` | that date, if it is a real date (years 0001-9999) | `2026-10-01` | | `on <phrase>`, `due <phrase>` | the same as the phrase | `due friday`, `on 2026-10-01` |
N is 1 to 999 in ASCII digits with no leading zero (`in 03 days` is not a phrase), or one of the words `a`, `an`, `one` ... `ten`. Units may be singular or plural whatever N is. Only one `on` or `due` is allowed, and only in front.
Anything else is null: `friday week`, `in 3 lightyears`, `in 0 days`, `in 1000 days`, `2026-02-30`, `next`, an empty string, or a phrase with other words around it (`pay rent tomorrow`; finding a phrase inside a line is todo.parse-quick-add's job).
## Decisions
- **A weekday name never means today.** On a Friday, `friday` is a week away: someone typing a weekday means a day to come, and `today` is the word for today. - **`next <weekday>` means next week's.** On Monday 28 September, `friday` is 2 October and `next friday` is 9 October. People disagree about this one; the ISO-week reading at least gives the two phrases different answers, and a UI can show the date it picked. - **`weekend` on a Sunday is today.** It is still the weekend, and jumping to next Saturday would push the task six days out. - **`in 1 month` clamps**, as dates.add-months does: 31 January + 1 month is 28 February (29 in a leap year), never 3 March. - **An impossible ISO date is null, not an error.** It is something typed, like any other unrecognised text; only `today` is the caller's responsibility.
Files
| Path | Bytes |
|---|---|
| README.md | 3,777 |
| impl/python.py | 3,747 |
| impl/rust.rs | 5,064 |
| impl/typescript.ts | 4,527 |
| vectors.json | 6,903 |