--- name: "Mail::Message::Field::Date" section: "3pm" platform: "linux" package: "perl-mail-message" version: "4.05-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/Mail::Message::Field::Date" --- # Mail::Message::Field::Date(3pm) message header field with uris ## NAME Mail::Message::Field::Date - message header field with uris ## INHERITANCE ``` Mail::Message::Field::Date is a Mail::Message::Field::Structured is a Mail::Message::Field::Full is a Mail::Message::Field is a Mail::Reporter ``` ## SYNOPSIS ``` my $f = Mail::Message::Field->new(Date => time); my $f = Mail::Message::Field::Date->new(Date => time); my $date = $f->date; # cleaned-up and validated my $time = $date->time; # converted to POSIX time ``` ## DESCRIPTION Dates are a little more tricky than it should be: the formatting permits a few constructs more than other RFCs use for timestamps. For instance, a small subset of timezone abbreviations are permitted. The studied date field will reformat the content into a standard form. Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. ## OVERLOADED Extends "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - overload: **""** stringification Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - overload: **'""'** stringification Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field - overload: **'0+'** numification Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field - overload: **'\<=**'\> numeric comparison Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field - overload: **bool** boolean Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field - overload: **cmp** string comparison Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field ## METHODS Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. ### Constructors Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**clone**() Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field - $class-\>**from**($field, %options) Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $class-\>**new**($data) Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured ``` -Option --Defined in --Default attributes Mail::Message::Field::Structured charset Mail::Message::Field::Full undef datum Mail::Message::Field::Structured undef encoding Mail::Message::Field::Full 'q' force Mail::Message::Field::Full false language Mail::Message::Field::Full undef ``` - attributes =\> \\@attributes\|\\%attributes - charset =\> $charset - datum =\> $date - encoding =\> 'q'\|'Q'\|'b'\|'B' - force =\> BOOLEAN - language =\> $language ยป example: ``` my $mmfd = 'Mail::Message::Field::Date'; my $f = $mmfd->new(Date => time); ``` ### Attributes Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**Name**() Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**body**() Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**folded**() Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**foldedBody**( \[$body\] ) Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**name**() Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**unfoldedBody**( \[$body, \[$wrap\]\] ) Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**wellformedName**( \[STRING\] ) Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field ### The field Extends "The field" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $any-\>**isStructured**( \[$name\] ) Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**length**() Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**nrLines**() Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**print**( \[$fh\] ) Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**size**() Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**string**( \[$wrap\] ) Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**toDisclose**() Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field ### Access to the body Extends "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**decodedBody**(%options) Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field::Full ### Access to the content Extends "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**addAttribute**(...) Attributes are not supported for date fields. - $obj-\>**addresses**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**attrPairs**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured - $obj-\>**attribute**( $object\|\\|\<$name,$value,%options\> ) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured - $obj-\>**attributes**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured - $obj-\>**beautify**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**comment**( \[STRING\] ) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $any-\>**createComment**(STRING, %options) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $any-\>**createPhrase**(STRING, %options) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**date**() The validated and standardized date representation for this field. When the body of this field is not recognized, then this will return `"undef"`. - $any-\>**dateToTimestamp**(STRING) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $any-\>**stripCFWS**( \[STRING\] ) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**study**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**time**() Convert date into a timestamp, as produced with **POSIX::time()**. - $any-\>**toDate**( \[$time\] ) Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**toInt**() Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field ### Internals Extends "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $any-\>**decode**(STRING, %options) Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**encode**(STRING, %options) Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field::Full ### Parsing Extends "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**consume**( $line \| \<$name,\<$body\|$objects\>\> ) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field - $any-\>**consumeComment**(STRING) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**consumeDotAtom**(STRING) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $any-\>**consumePhrase**(STRING) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**datum**( \[$value\] ) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured - $obj-\>**defaultWrapLength**( \[$length\] ) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field - $any-\>**fold**( $name, $body, \[$maxchars\] ) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**parse**(STRING) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**produceBody**() Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field::Full - $obj-\>**setWrapLength**( \[$length\] ) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**stringifyData**(STRING\|ARRAY\|$objects) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field - $obj-\>**unfold**(STRING) Inherited, see "Parsing" in Mail::Message::Field ### Error handling Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**AUTOLOAD**() Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter - $obj-\>**notImplemented**() Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter ### Cleanup Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. - $obj-\>**DESTROY**() Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter ## DETAILS Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Message::Field::Structured. ## DIAGNOSTICS - Error: class $package does not implement method $method. Fatal error: the specific `$package` (or one of its superclasses) does not implement this method where it should. This message means that some other related classes do implement this method however the class at hand does not. Probably you should investigate this and probably inform the author of the package. Cast by `notImplemented()` - Warning: field content is not numerical: $content The numeric value of a field is requested (for instance the `"Lines"` or `"Content-Length"` fields should be numerical), however the data contains weird characters. Cast by `toInt()` - Error: field name too long (max $count), in '$name'. It is not specified in the RFCs how long a field name can be, but at least it should be a few characters shorter than the line wrap. Cast by `fold()` - Warning: illegal character in charset '$name'. The field is created with an utf8 string which only contains data from the specified character set. However, that character set can never be a valid name because it contains characters which are not permitted. Cast by `encode()` - Warning: illegal character in field name $name. A new field is being created which does contain characters not permitted by the RFCs. Using this field in messages may break other e-mail clients or transfer agents, and therefore mutulate or extinguish your message. Cast by `consume()` - Warning: illegal character in language '$name'. The field is created with data which is specified to be in a certain language, however, the name of the language cannot be valid: it contains characters which are not permitted by the RFCs. Cast by `encode()` - Warning: illegal encoding '$name', using 'q'. The RFCs only permit base64 (`"b "` or `"B "`) or quoted-printable (`"q"` or `"Q"`) encoding. Other than these four options are illegal. Cast by `encode()` - Error: no attributes for date fields. It is not possible to add attributes to date fields: it is not permitted by the RFCs. Cast by `addAttribute()` ## SEE ALSO This module is part of Mail-Message version 4.05, built on April 10, 2026. Website: *http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/* ## LICENSE For contributors see file ChangeLog. This software is copyright (c) 2001-2026 by Mark Overmeer. This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.