Add support for _parsing_ dates.

It utilizes the python-dateutil parser for this purpose.

3 files changed, 36 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7ad8c84..6b44b70 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import sys
 import os
 from setuptools import setup
 
@@ -9,6 +10,14 @@ def get_version():
         return VERSION
     raise RuntimeError('No version info found.')
 
+def get_dependencies():
+    deps = ['pytz']
+    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:  # Python >= 3
+        deps.append('python-dateutil >= 2')
+    else:
+        deps.append('python-dateutil < 2')
+    return deps
+
 setup(
     name='times',
     version=get_version(),
@@ -24,7 +33,7 @@ setup(
     include_package_data=True,
     zip_safe=False,
     platforms='any',
-    install_requires=['pytz'],
+    install_requires=get_dependencies(),
     classifiers=[
         # As from http://pypi.python.org/pypi?%3Aaction=list_classifiers
         #'Development Status :: 1 - Planning',
diff --git a/tests/test_times.py b/tests/test_times.py
index e24aa56..327c2f0 100644
--- a/tests/test_times.py
+++ b/tests/test_times.py
@@ -73,6 +73,24 @@ class TestTimes(TestCase):
             datetime(2012, 2, 3, 8, 16, 44, 456000)
         )
 
+    def test_to_universal_with_string(self):
+        dt = self.sometime_univ
+
+        # Timezone-aware strings
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-02 00:56:31+1300'))
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-01 12:56:31+0100'))
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-01 06:56:31-0500'))
+
+        # Timezone-less strings require explicit source timezone
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-02 00:56:31', 'Pacific/Auckland'))
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-01 12:56:31', 'CET'))
+        self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-01 06:56:31', 'EST'))
+
+        # Timezone-less strings are rejected if source timezone is not specified
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            self.assertEquals(dt, times.to_universal('2012-02-01 12:56:31'))
+
+
     def test_to_universal_rejects_no_tzinfo(self):
         """Converting to universal times requires source timezone"""
         now = datetime.now()
@@ -82,7 +100,7 @@ class TestTimes(TestCase):
     def test_to_universal_rejects_non_date_arguments(self):
         """to_universal rejects non-date arguments"""
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            times.to_universal('lol')
+            times.to_universal([1, 2, 3])
 
 
     # from_unix()
diff --git a/times/__init__.py b/times/__init__.py
index a01fe78..b6f39bc 100644
--- a/times/__init__.py
+++ b/times/__init__.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import datetime
 import calendar
 import pytz
+from dateutil.parser import parse
 from .version import VERSION
 
 __author__ = 'Vincent Driessen <vincent@3rdcloud.com>'
 __version__ = VERSION
 
+_default_fmt = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S%z'
 
 def to_universal(local_dt, timezone=None):
     """Converts the given local datetime or UNIX timestamp to a universal
@@ -17,8 +19,10 @@ def to_universal(local_dt, timezone=None):
                 'Timezone argument illegal when using UNIX timestamps.'
             )
         return from_unix(local_dt)
-    else:
-        return from_local(local_dt, timezone)
+    elif isinstance(local_dt, basestring):
+        local_dt = parse(local_dt)
+
+    return from_local(local_dt, timezone)
 
 
 def from_local(local_dt, timezone=None):
@@ -84,7 +88,7 @@ def format(dt, timezone, fmt=None):
     """Formats the given universal time for display in the given time zone."""
 
     if fmt is None:
-        fmt = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S%z'
+        fmt = _default_fmt
     if timezone is None:
         raise ValueError('Please give an explicit timezone.')
     return to_local(dt, timezone).strftime(fmt)