Using DateDataParser

dateparser.parse() uses a default parser which tries to detect language every time it is called and is not the most efficient way while parsing dates from the same source.

dateparser.date.DateDataParser provides an alternate and efficient way to control language detection behavior.

The instance of dateparser.date.DateDataParser reduces the number of applicable languages, until only one or no language is left. It assumes the previously detected language for all the next dates and does not try to execute the language detection again after a language is discarded.

This class wraps around the core dateparser functionality, and by default assumes that all of the dates fed to it are in the same language.

class dateparser.date.DateDataParser(languages=None, allow_redetect_language=False)[source]

Class which handles language detection, translation and subsequent generic parsing of string representing date and/or time.

Parameters:
  • languages (list) – A list of two letters language codes, e.g. [‘en’, ‘es’]. If languages are given, it will not attempt to detect the language.
  • allow_redetect_language (bool) – Enables/disables language re-detection.
Returns:

A parser instance

Raises:

ValueError - Unknown Language, TypeError - Languages argument must be a list

get_date_data(date_string, date_formats=None)[source]

Parse string representing date and/or time in recognizable localized formats. Supports parsing multiple languages and timezones.

Parameters:
  • date_string (str|unicode) – A string representing date and/or time in a recognizably valid format.
  • date_formats (list) – A list of format strings using directives as given here. The parser applies formats one by one, taking into account the detected languages.
Returns:

a dict mapping keys to datetime.datetime object and period. For example: {‘date_obj’: datetime.datetime(2015, 6, 1, 0, 0), ‘period’: u’day’}

Raises:

ValueError - Unknown Language

Note

Period values can be a ‘day’ (default), ‘week’, ‘month’, ‘year’.

Period represents the granularity of date parsed from the given string.

In the example below, since no day information is present, the day is assumed to be current day 16 from current date (which is June 16, 2015, at the moment of writing this). Hence, the level of precision is month.

>>> DateDataParser().get_date_data(u'March 2015')
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2015, 3, 16, 0, 0), 'period': u'month'}

Similarly, for date strings with no day and month information present, level of precision is year and day 16 and month 6 are from current_date.

>>> DateDataParser().get_date_data(u'2014')
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2014, 6, 16, 0, 0), 'period': u'year'}
Dates with time zone indications or UTC offsets are returned in UTC time.
>>> DateDataParser().get_date_data(u'23 March 2000, 1:21 PM CET')
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2000, 3, 23, 14, 21), 'period': 'day'}

Once initialized, dateparser.date.DateDataParser.get_date_data() parses date strings:

>>> from dateparser.date import DateDataParser
>>> ddp = DateDataParser()
>>> ddp.get_date_data(u'Martes 21 de Octubre de 2014')  # Spanish
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2014, 10, 21, 0, 0), 'period': u'day'}
>>> ddp.get_date_data(u'13 Septiembre, 2014')  # Spanish
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2014, 9, 13, 0, 0), 'period': u'day'}

Warning

It fails to parse English dates in the example below, because Spanish was detected and stored with the ddp instance:

>>> ddp.get_date_data('11 August 2012')
{'date_obj': None, 'period': 'day'}

dateparser.date.DateDataParser can also be initialized with known languages:

>>> ddp = DateDataParser(languages=['de', 'nl'])
>>> ddp.get_date_data(u'vr jan 24, 2014 12:49')
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2014, 1, 24, 12, 49), 'period': u'day'}
>>> ddp.get_date_data(u'18.10.14 um 22:56 Uhr')
{'date_obj': datetime.datetime(2014, 10, 18, 22, 56), 'period': u'day'}