mdocml: Clean up date handling, as a first step to get rid of the

mdocml: Clean up date handling, as a first step to get rid of the

[schwarze]

Log Message:
-----------
Clean up date handling, 
as a first step to get rid of the frequent petty warnings in this area:
 - always store dates as strings, not as seconds since the Epoch
 - for input, try the three most common formats everywhere
 - for unrecognized format, just pass the date though verbatim
 - when there is no date at all, still use the current date
Originally triggered by a one-line patch from Tim van der Molen,
<tbvdm at xs4all dot nl>, which is included here.
Feedback and OK on manual parts from jmc@.
"please check this in" kristaps@

Modified Files:
--------------
    mdocml:
        libmandoc.h
        main.c
        man.7
        man.c
        man.h
        man_html.c
        man_term.c
        man_validate.c
        mandoc.c
        mandoc.h
        mdoc.7
        mdoc.c
        mdoc.h
        mdoc_html.c
        mdoc_term.c
        mdoc_validate.c
        out.h

Revision Data
-------------
Index: man.7
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man.7,v
retrieving revision 1.98
retrieving revision 1.99
diff -Lman.7 -Lman.7 -u -p -r1.98 -r1.99
--- man.7
+++ man.7
@@ -118,15 +118,6 @@ rendered as an empty line.
 .Pp
 In macro lines, whitespace delimits arguments and is discarded.
 If arguments are quoted, whitespace within the quotes is retained.
-.Ss Dates
-The
-.Sx \&TH
-macro is the only
-.Nm
-macro that requires a date.
-The form for this date is the ISO-8601
-standard
-.Cm YYYY-MM-DD .
 .Ss Scaling Widths
 Many macros support scaled widths for their arguments, such as
 stipulating a two-inch paragraph indentation with the following:
@@ -763,26 +754,27 @@ The paragraph left-margin width is reset
 Sets the title of the manual page with the following syntax:
 .Bd -filled -offset indent
 .Pf \. Sx \&TH
-.Cm title section
-.Op Cm date Op Cm source Op Cm volume
+.Ar title section date
+.Op Ar source Op Ar volume
 .Ed
 .Pp
-At least the upper-case document
-.Cm title
-and the manual
-.Cm section
-arguments must be provided.
-The
-.Cm date
-argument should be formatted as described in
-.Sx Dates ,
-but will be printed verbatim if it is not.
-If the date is not specified, the current date is used.
-The
-.Cm source
+Conventionally, the document
+.Ar title
+is given in all caps.
+The recommended
+.Ar date
+format is
+.Sy YYYY-MM-DD
+as specified in the ISO-8601 standard;
+if the argument does not conform, it is printed verbatim.
+If the
+.Ar date
+is empty or not specified, the current date is used.
+The optional
+.Ar source
 string specifies the organisation providing the utility.
 The
-.Cm volume
+.Ar volume
 string replaces the default rendered volume, which is dictated by the
 manual section.
 .Pp
Index: mandoc.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mandoc.h,v
retrieving revision 1.57
retrieving revision 1.58
diff -Lmandoc.h -Lmandoc.h -u -p -r1.57 -r1.58
--- mandoc.h
+++ mandoc.h
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ enum	mandocerr {
 	MANDOCERR_NOTITLE, /* no title in document */
 	MANDOCERR_UPPERCASE, /* document title should be all caps */
 	MANDOCERR_BADMSEC, /* unknown manual section */
-	MANDOCERR_BADDATE, /* cannot parse date argument */
+	MANDOCERR_NODATE, /* date missing, using today's date */
+	MANDOCERR_BADDATE, /* cannot parse date, using it verbatim */
 	MANDOCERR_PROLOGOOO, /* prologue macros out of order */
 	MANDOCERR_PROLOGREP, /* duplicate prologue macro */
 	MANDOCERR_BADPROLOG, /* macro not allowed in prologue */
Index: main.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/main.c,v
retrieving revision 1.146
retrieving revision 1.147
diff -Lmain.c -Lmain.c -u -p -r1.146 -r1.147
--- main.c
+++ main.c
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ static	const char * const	mandocerrs[MAN
 	"no title in document",
 	"document title should be all caps",
 	"unknown manual section",
-	"cannot parse date argument",
+	"date missing, using today's date",
+	"cannot parse date, using it verbatim",
 	"prologue macros out of order",
 	"duplicate prologue macro",
 	"macro not allowed in prologue",
Index: mdoc_validate.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc_validate.c,v
retrieving revision 1.157
retrieving revision 1.158
diff -Lmdoc_validate.c -Lmdoc_validate.c -u -p -r1.157 -r1.158
--- mdoc_validate.c
+++ mdoc_validate.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ static	v_post	 posts_bx[] = { post_bx, N
 static	v_post	 posts_bool[] = { ebool, NULL };
 static	v_post	 posts_eoln[] = { post_eoln, NULL };
 static	v_post	 posts_defaults[] = { post_defaults, NULL };
-static	v_post	 posts_dd[] = { ewarn_ge1, post_dd, post_prol, NULL };
+static	v_post	 posts_dd[] = { post_dd, post_prol, NULL };
 static	v_post	 posts_dl[] = { post_literal, bwarn_ge1, NULL };
 static	v_post	 posts_dt[] = { post_dt, post_prol, NULL };
 static	v_post	 posts_fo[] = { hwarn_eq1, bwarn_ge1, NULL };
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ const	struct valids mdoc_valids[MDOC_MAX
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* Xr */ 
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %A */
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %B */ /* FIXME: can be used outside Rs/Re. */
-	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %D */ /* FIXME: check date with mandoc_a2time(). */
+	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %D */
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %I */
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %J */
 	{ NULL, posts_text },			/* %N */
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ static int
 pre_dt(PRE_ARGS)
 {
 
-	if (0 == mdoc->meta.date || mdoc->meta.os)
+	if (NULL == mdoc->meta.date || mdoc->meta.os)
 		mdoc_nmsg(mdoc, n, MANDOCERR_PROLOGOOO);
 
 	if (mdoc->meta.title)
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ static int
 pre_os(PRE_ARGS)
 {
 
-	if (NULL == mdoc->meta.title || 0 == mdoc->meta.date)
+	if (NULL == mdoc->meta.title || NULL == mdoc->meta.date)
 		mdoc_nmsg(mdoc, n, MANDOCERR_PROLOGOOO);
 
 	if (mdoc->meta.os)
@@ -1971,23 +1971,21 @@ post_dd(POST_ARGS)
 	char		  buf[DATESIZE];
 	struct mdoc_node *n;
 
-	n = mdoc->last;
+	if (mdoc->meta.date)
+		free(mdoc->meta.date);
 
-	if (NULL == n->child) {
-		mdoc->meta.date = time(NULL);
+	n = mdoc->last;
+	if (NULL == n->child || '\0' == n->child->string[0]) {
+		mdoc->meta.date = mandoc_normdate(NULL,
+		    mdoc->msg, mdoc->data, n->line, n->pos);
 		return(1);
 	}
 
 	if ( ! concat(mdoc, buf, n->child, DATESIZE))
 		return(0);
 
-	mdoc->meta.date = mandoc_a2time
-		(MTIME_MDOCDATE | MTIME_CANONICAL, buf);
-
-	if (0 == mdoc->meta.date) {
-		mdoc_nmsg(mdoc, n, MANDOCERR_BADDATE);
-		mdoc->meta.date = time(NULL);
-	}
+	mdoc->meta.date = mandoc_normdate(buf,
+	    mdoc->msg, mdoc->data, n->line, n->pos);
 
 	return(1);
 }
Index: man.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man.h,v
retrieving revision 1.53
retrieving revision 1.54
diff -Lman.h -Lman.h -u -p -r1.53 -r1.54
--- man.h
+++ man.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ enum	man_type {
  */
 struct	man_meta {
 	char		*msec; /* `TH' section (1, 3p, etc.) */
-	time_t		 date; /* `TH' normalised date */
-	char		*rawdate; /* raw `TH' date */
+	char		*date; /* `TH' normalised date */
 	char		*vol; /* `TH' volume */
 	char		*title; /* `TH' title (e.g., FOO) */
 	char		*source; /* `TH' source (e.g., GNU) */
Index: mdoc.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc.h,v
retrieving revision 1.117
retrieving revision 1.118
diff -Lmdoc.h -Lmdoc.h -u -p -r1.117 -r1.118
--- mdoc.h
+++ mdoc.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ struct	mdoc_meta {
 	char		 *msec; /* `Dt' section (1, 3p, etc.) */
 	char		 *vol; /* `Dt' volume (implied) */
 	char		 *arch; /* `Dt' arch (i386, etc.) */
-	time_t		  date; /* `Dd' normalised date */
+	char		 *date; /* `Dd' normalised date */
 	char		 *title; /* `Dt' title (FOO, etc.) */
 	char		 *os; /* `Os' system (OpenBSD, etc.) */
 	char		 *name; /* leading `Nm' name */
Index: man_validate.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man_validate.c,v
retrieving revision 1.62
retrieving revision 1.63
diff -Lman_validate.c -Lman_validate.c -u -p -r1.62 -r1.63
--- man_validate.c
+++ man_validate.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2010 Ingo Schwarze <schwarze@openbsd.org>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -194,8 +195,9 @@ check_root(CHKARGS) 
 		 */
 
 	        m->meta.title = mandoc_strdup("unknown");
-		m->meta.date = time(NULL);
 		m->meta.msec = mandoc_strdup("1");
+		m->meta.date = mandoc_normdate(NULL,
+		    m->msg, m->data, n->line, n->pos);
 	}
 
 	return(1);
@@ -298,7 +300,7 @@ check_ft(CHKARGS)
 	}
 
 	if (0 == ok) {
-		man_vmsg(m, MANDOCERR_BADFONT, 
+		man_vmsg(m, MANDOCERR_BADFONT,
 				n->line, n->pos, "%s", cp);
 		*cp = '\0';
 	}
@@ -377,6 +379,7 @@ static int
 post_TH(CHKARGS)
 {
 	const char	*p;
+	int		 line, pos;
 
 	if (m->meta.title)
 		free(m->meta.title);
@@ -386,12 +389,13 @@ post_TH(CHKARGS)
 		free(m->meta.source);
 	if (m->meta.msec)
 		free(m->meta.msec);
-	if (m->meta.rawdate)
-		free(m->meta.rawdate);
+	if (m->meta.date)
+		free(m->meta.date);
 
-	m->meta.title = m->meta.vol = m->meta.rawdate =
+	line = n->line;
+	pos = n->pos;
+	m->meta.title = m->meta.vol = m->meta.date =
 		m->meta.msec = m->meta.source = NULL;
-	m->meta.date = 0;
 
 	/* ->TITLE<- MSEC DATE SOURCE VOL */
 
@@ -419,24 +423,12 @@ post_TH(CHKARGS)
 
 	/* TITLE MSEC ->DATE<- SOURCE VOL */
 
-	/*
-	 * Try to parse the date.  If this works, stash the epoch (this
-	 * is optimal because we can reformat it in the canonical form).
-	 * If it doesn't parse, isn't specified at all, or is an empty
-	 * string, then use the current date.
-	 */
-
 	if (n)
 		n = n->next;
-	if (n && n->string && *n->string) {
-		m->meta.date = mandoc_a2time
-			(MTIME_ISO_8601, n->string);
-		if (0 == m->meta.date) {
-			man_nmsg(m, n, MANDOCERR_BADDATE);
-			m->meta.rawdate = mandoc_strdup(n->string);
-		}
-	} else
-		m->meta.date = time(NULL);
+	if (n)
+		pos = n->pos;
+	m->meta.date = mandoc_normdate(n ? n->string : NULL,
+	    m->msg, m->data, line, pos);
 
 	/* TITLE MSEC DATE ->SOURCE<- VOL */
 
Index: mandoc.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mandoc.c,v
retrieving revision 1.36
retrieving revision 1.37
diff -Lmandoc.c -Lmandoc.c -u -p -r1.36 -r1.37
--- mandoc.c
+++ mandoc.c
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@
 #include "mandoc.h"
 #include "libmandoc.h"
 
-static	int	 a2time(time_t *, const char *, const char *);
+#define DATESIZE 32
 
+static	int	 a2time(time_t *, const char *, const char *);
+static	char	*time2a(time_t);
 
 int
 mandoc_special(char *p)
@@ -380,38 +382,55 @@ a2time(time_t *t, const char *fmt, const
 }
 
 
-/*
- * Convert from a manual date string (see mdoc(7) and man(7)) into a
- * date according to the stipulated date type.
- */
-time_t
-mandoc_a2time(int flags, const char *p)
+static char *
+time2a(time_t t)
+{
+	struct tm	 tm;
+	char		 buf[DATESIZE];
+	char		*p;
+	size_t		 nsz, rsz;
+	int		 isz;
+
+	localtime_r(&t, &tm);
+
+	p = buf;
+	rsz = DATESIZE;
+
+	if (0 == (nsz = strftime(p, rsz, "%B ", &tm)))
+		return(NULL);
+
+	p += (int)nsz;
+	rsz -= nsz;
+
+	if (-1 == (isz = snprintf(p, rsz, "%d, ", tm.tm_mday)))
+		return(NULL);
+
+	p += isz;
+	rsz -= isz;
+
+	return(strftime(p, rsz, "%Y", &tm) ? buf : NULL);
+}
+
+
+char *
+mandoc_normdate(char *in, mandocmsg msg, void *data, int ln, int pos)
 {
+	char		*out;
 	time_t		 t;
 
-	if (MTIME_MDOCDATE & flags) {
-		if (0 == strcmp(p, "$" "Mdocdate$"))
-			return(time(NULL));
-		if (a2time(&t, "$" "Mdocdate: %b %d %Y $", p))
-			return(t);
-	}
-
-	if (MTIME_CANONICAL & flags || MTIME_REDUCED & flags) 
-		if (a2time(&t, "%b %d, %Y", p))
-			return(t);
-
-	if (MTIME_ISO_8601 & flags) 
-		if (a2time(&t, "%Y-%m-%d", p))
-			return(t);
-
-	if (MTIME_REDUCED & flags) {
-		if (a2time(&t, "%d, %Y", p))
-			return(t);
-		if (a2time(&t, "%Y", p))
-			return(t);
+	if (NULL == in || '\0' == *in ||
+	    0 == strcmp(in, "$" "Mdocdate$")) {
+		(*msg)(MANDOCERR_NODATE, data, ln, pos, NULL);
+		time(&t);
+	}
+	else if (!a2time(&t, "$" "Mdocdate: %b %d %Y $", in) &&
+	    !a2time(&t, "%b %d, %Y", in) &&
+	    !a2time(&t, "%Y-%m-%d", in)) {
+		(*msg)(MANDOCERR_BADDATE, data, ln, pos, NULL);
+		t = 0;
 	}
-
-	return(0);
+	out = t ? time2a(t) : NULL;
+	return(mandoc_strdup(out ? out : in));
 }
 
 
Index: man_html.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man_html.c,v
retrieving revision 1.69
retrieving revision 1.70
diff -Lman_html.c -Lman_html.c -u -p -r1.69 -r1.70
--- man_html.c
+++ man_html.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -352,12 +352,6 @@ man_root_post(MAN_ARGS)
 {
 	struct htmlpair	 tag[3];
 	struct tag	*t, *tt;
-	char		 b[DATESIZ];
-
-	if (m->rawdate)
-		strlcpy(b, m->rawdate, DATESIZ);
-	else
-		time2a(m->date, b, DATESIZ);
 
 	PAIR_SUMMARY_INIT(&tag[0], "Document Footer");
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[1], "foot");
@@ -375,7 +369,7 @@ man_root_post(MAN_ARGS)
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[0], "foot-date");
 	print_otag(h, TAG_TD, 1, tag);
 
-	print_text(h, b);
+	print_text(h, m->date);
 	print_stagq(h, tt);
 
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[0], "foot-os");
Index: out.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/out.h,v
retrieving revision 1.16
retrieving revision 1.17
diff -Lout.h -Lout.h -u -p -r1.16 -r1.17
--- out.h
+++ out.h
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 #ifndef OUT_H
 #define OUT_H
 
-#define	DATESIZ		24
-
 __BEGIN_DECLS
 
 struct	roffcol {
Index: mdoc_html.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc_html.c,v
retrieving revision 1.153
retrieving revision 1.154
diff -Lmdoc_html.c -Lmdoc_html.c -u -p -r1.153 -r1.154
--- mdoc_html.c
+++ mdoc_html.c
@@ -500,9 +500,6 @@ mdoc_root_post(MDOC_ARGS)
 {
 	struct htmlpair	 tag[3];
 	struct tag	*t, *tt;
-	char		 b[DATESIZ];
-
-	time2a(m->date, b, DATESIZ);
 
 	PAIR_SUMMARY_INIT(&tag[0], "Document Footer");
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[1], "foot");
@@ -522,7 +519,7 @@ mdoc_root_post(MDOC_ARGS)
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[0], "foot-date");
 	print_otag(h, TAG_TD, 1, tag);
 
-	print_text(h, b);
+	print_text(h, m->date);
 	print_stagq(h, tt);
 
 	PAIR_CLASS_INIT(&tag[0], "foot-os");
Index: man.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man.c,v
retrieving revision 1.101
retrieving revision 1.102
diff -Lman.c -Lman.c -u -p -r1.101 -r1.102
--- man.c
+++ man.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ man_free1(struct man *man)
 		free(man->meta.title);
 	if (man->meta.source)
 		free(man->meta.source);
-	if (man->meta.rawdate)
-		free(man->meta.rawdate);
+	if (man->meta.date)
+		free(man->meta.date);
 	if (man->meta.vol)
 		free(man->meta.vol);
 	if (man->meta.msec)
Index: mdoc.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc.c,v
retrieving revision 1.181
retrieving revision 1.182
diff -Lmdoc.c -Lmdoc.c -u -p -r1.181 -r1.182
--- mdoc.c
+++ mdoc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*	$Id$ */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
  * Copyright (c) 2010 Ingo Schwarze <schwarze@openbsd.org>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
@@ -342,8 +342,9 @@ mdoc_macro(MACRO_PROT_ARGS)
 			m->meta.vol = mandoc_strdup("LOCAL");
 		if (NULL == m->meta.os)
 			m->meta.os = mandoc_strdup("LOCAL");
-		if (0 == m->meta.date)
-			m->meta.date = time(NULL);
+		if (NULL == m->meta.date)
+			m->meta.date = mandoc_normdate(NULL,
+			    m->msg, m->data, line, ppos);
 		m->flags |= MDOC_PBODY;
 	}
 
Index: mdoc.7
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc.7,v
retrieving revision 1.180
retrieving revision 1.181
diff -Lmdoc.7 -Lmdoc.7 -u -p -r1.180 -r1.181
--- mdoc.7
+++ mdoc.7
@@ -197,34 +197,6 @@ Thus, the following produces
 .Ed
 .Pp
 In free-form mode, quotes are regarded as opaque text.
-.Ss Dates
-There are several macros in
-.Nm
-that require a date argument.
-The canonical form for dates is the American format:
-.Pp
-.D1 Cm Month Day , Year
-.Pp
-The
-.Cm Day
-value is an optionally zero-padded numeral.
-The
-.Cm Month
-value is the full month name.
-The
-.Cm Year
-value is the full four-digit year.
-.Pp
-Reduced form dates are broken-down canonical form dates:
-.Pp
-.D1 Cm Month , Year
-.D1 Cm Year
-.Pp
-Some examples of valid dates follow:
-.Pp
-.D1 "May, 2009" Pq reduced form
-.D1 "2009" Pq reduced form
-.D1 "May 20, 2009" Pq canonical form
 .Ss Scaling Widths
 Many macros support scaled widths for their arguments, such as
 stipulating a two-inch list indentation with the following:
@@ -886,8 +858,10 @@ block.
 Publication date of an
 .Sx \&Rs
 block.
-This should follow the reduced or canonical form syntax described in
-.Sx Dates .
+Recommended formats of arguments are
+.Ar month day , year
+or just
+.Ar year .
 .Ss \&%I
 Publisher or issuer name of an
 .Sx \&Rs
@@ -1469,17 +1443,36 @@ This is the mandatory first macro of any
 manual.
 Its syntax is as follows:
 .Pp
-.D1 Pf \. Sx \&Dd Op Ar date
+.D1 Pf \. Sx \&Dd Ar month day , year
 .Pp
 The
-.Ar date
-may be either
-.Ar $\&Mdocdate$ ,
-which signifies the current manual revision date dictated by
+.Ar month
+is the full English month name, the
+.Ar day
+is an optionally zero-padded numeral, and the
+.Ar year
+is the full four-digit year.
+.Pp
+Other arguments are not portable; the
+.Xr mandoc 1
+utility handles them as follows:
+.Bl -dash -offset 3n -compact
+.It
+To have the date automatically filled in by the
+.Ox
+version of
 .Xr cvs 1 ,
-or instead a valid canonical date as specified by
-.Sx Dates .
-If a date does not conform or is empty, the current date is used.
+the special string
+.Dq $\&Mdocdate$
+can be given as an argument.
+.It
+A few alternative date formats are accepted as well
+and converted to the standard form.
+.It
+If a date string cannot be parsed, it is used verbatim.
+.It
+If no date string is given, the current date is used.
+.El
 .Pp
 Examples:
 .Dl \&.Dd $\&Mdocdate$
@@ -2771,9 +2764,12 @@ does not start a new line.
 \*[hist]
 .It
 .Sx \&Dd
-without an argument prints
-.Dq Epoch .
-In mandoc, it resolves to the current date.
+with non-standard arguments behaves very strangely.
+When there are three arguments, they are printed verbatim.
+Any other number of arguments is replaced by the current date,
+but without any arguments the string
+.Dq Epoch
+is printed.
 .It
 .Sx \&Fl
 does not print a dash for an empty argument.
Index: man_term.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/man_term.c,v
retrieving revision 1.103
retrieving revision 1.104
diff -Lman_term.c -Lman_term.c -u -p -r1.103 -r1.104
--- man_term.c
+++ man_term.c
@@ -946,24 +946,18 @@ print_man_nodelist(DECL_ARGS)
 static void
 print_man_foot(struct termp *p, const void *arg)
 {
-	char		buf[DATESIZ];
 	const struct man_meta *meta;
 
 	meta = (const struct man_meta *)arg;
 
 	term_fontrepl(p, TERMFONT_NONE);
 
-	if (meta->rawdate)
-		strlcpy(buf, meta->rawdate, DATESIZ);
-	else
-		time2a(meta->date, buf, DATESIZ);
-
 	term_vspace(p);
 	term_vspace(p);
 	term_vspace(p);
 
 	p->flags |= TERMP_NOSPACE | TERMP_NOBREAK;
-	p->rmargin = p->maxrmargin - term_strlen(p, buf);
+	p->rmargin = p->maxrmargin - term_strlen(p, meta->date);
 	p->offset = 0;
 
 	/* term_strlen() can return zero. */
@@ -981,7 +975,7 @@ print_man_foot(struct termp *p, const vo
 	p->rmargin = p->maxrmargin;
 	p->flags &= ~TERMP_NOBREAK;
 
-	term_word(p, buf);
+	term_word(p, meta->date);
 	term_flushln(p);
 }
 
Index: mdoc_term.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/mdoc_term.c,v
retrieving revision 1.219
retrieving revision 1.220
diff -Lmdoc_term.c -Lmdoc_term.c -u -p -r1.219 -r1.220
--- mdoc_term.c
+++ mdoc_term.c
@@ -413,7 +413,6 @@ print_mdoc_node(DECL_ARGS)
 static void
 print_mdoc_foot(struct termp *p, const void *arg)
 {
-	char		buf[DATESIZ], os[BUFSIZ];
 	const struct mdoc_meta *m;
 
 	m = (const struct mdoc_meta *)arg;
@@ -428,24 +427,21 @@ print_mdoc_foot(struct termp *p, const v
 	 * SYSTEM                  DATE                    SYSTEM
 	 */
 
-	time2a(m->date, buf, DATESIZ);
-	strlcpy(os, m->os, BUFSIZ);
-
 	term_vspace(p);
 
 	p->offset = 0;
 	p->rmargin = (p->maxrmargin - 
-			term_strlen(p, buf) + term_len(p, 1)) / 2;
+			term_strlen(p, m->date) + term_len(p, 1)) / 2;
 	p->flags |= TERMP_NOSPACE | TERMP_NOBREAK;
 
-	term_word(p, os);
+	term_word(p, m->os);
 	term_flushln(p);
 
 	p->offset = p->rmargin;
-	p->rmargin = p->maxrmargin - term_strlen(p, os);
+	p->rmargin = p->maxrmargin - term_strlen(p, m->os);
 	p->flags |= TERMP_NOLPAD | TERMP_NOSPACE;
 
-	term_word(p, buf);
+	term_word(p, m->date);
 	term_flushln(p);
 
 	p->offset = p->rmargin;
@@ -453,7 +449,7 @@ print_mdoc_foot(struct termp *p, const v
 	p->flags &= ~TERMP_NOBREAK;
 	p->flags |= TERMP_NOLPAD | TERMP_NOSPACE;
 
-	term_word(p, os);
+	term_word(p, m->os);
 	term_flushln(p);
 
 	p->offset = 0;
Index: libmandoc.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/vhosts/mdocml.bsd.lv/cvs/mdocml/libmandoc.h,v
retrieving revision 1.10
retrieving revision 1.11
diff -Llibmandoc.h -Llibmandoc.h -u -p -r1.10 -r1.11
--- libmandoc.h
+++ libmandoc.h
@@ -25,11 +25,7 @@ char		*mandoc_strdup(const char *);
 void		*mandoc_malloc(size_t);
 void		*mandoc_realloc(void *, size_t);
 char		*mandoc_getarg(char **, mandocmsg, void *, int, int *);
-time_t		 mandoc_a2time(int, const char *);
-#define		 MTIME_CANONICAL	(1 << 0)
-#define		 MTIME_REDUCED		(1 << 1)
-#define		 MTIME_MDOCDATE		(1 << 2)
-#define		 MTIME_ISO_8601		(1 << 3)
+char		*mandoc_normdate(char *, mandocmsg, void *, int, int);
 int		 mandoc_eos(const char *, size_t, int);
 int		 mandoc_hyph(const char *, const char *);
 
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