Question 1

How to parse 'tonight at 11 pm' using Go?

Accepted Answer

Use the when library by adding English rules and calling Parse with the text and a reference time. The README provides example code for similar phrases like 'drop me a line in next wednesday at 2:25 p.m.'.

Question 2

When library vs Go's standard time.Parse – which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Use time.Parse for strict, formatted dates like RFC 3339, but choose when for natural language input. When offers flexibility for human-readable text but trades off performance and may introduce ambiguity compared to rigid formats.

Question 3

How to add custom date rules for a specific domain?

Accepted Answer

Implement new rules by following the structure in the rules directory, then add them to the parser using w.Add(). The README mentions pluggable rules and encourages contributions for missing cases.

Question 4

Does when handle time zones in natural language?

Accepted Answer

It parses based on the provided reference time and rules; explicit time zone support depends on input text and rule implementations. Built-in rules may not cover all time zone phrases, so custom rules might be needed.

Question 5

What's the accuracy of when for ambiguous dates like 'March 5th'?

Accepted Answer

Accuracy depends on rule coverage and merge strategies; the library uses configurable options to resolve conflicts, but ambiguous input can lead to errors. Testing with specific cases is recommended, as the TODO list notes gaps.

Question 6

Best practices for optimizing when performance in production?

Accepted Answer

Limit the number of active rules to those needed, tune Distance and MatchByOrder options based on your text patterns, and pre-parse common expressions. The README shows how distance affects matching efficiency.

when

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