> But the main problem is parse() for parsing "approximate dates" like > "week ago" or "tomorrow". GNU date accepts these with the -d option: http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/Examples-of-date.html OS X date accepts a symbolic version with the -v option. It'll probably be profitable to look at their source code. With some luck, GNU date is based on a library that can be reused.