DateTime Natural Language Parser
Parse natural language date and time expressions using GNU date command (native Linux utility).
IMPORTANT: For Claude Code
DO NOT invoke slash commands (/datetime:parse, /datetime:now, /datetime:calc) - those are for users only.
Instead, use the date command directly via the Bash tool:
# Get current date/time
date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
# Parse natural language
date -d "tomorrow" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
date -d "next monday at 9am" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
date -d "3 days" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'This skill provides the command patterns and when to use them. The slash commands are for users to invoke manually.
Quick Example
date -d "next Friday" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
# 2026-02-06 00:00:00 (Friday)When to Use This Skill
Automatically invoke when:
- User mentions temporal expressions: "tomorrow", "next week", "in 3 days"
- Need to verify current date/time
- User references deadlines or time-sensitive tasks
- context shows incorrect dates
How to Use
Use the Bash tool with date -d command:
Get current date/time:
date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'Parse natural language:
date -d "tomorrow" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
date -d "next wednesday" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
date -d "3 days" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
date -d "next monday 9am" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'Important: The date command doesn't understand "in" keyword. When user says "in 3 days", use "3 days" instead.
Output Format
Returns single line: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (DayName)
Example: 2024-10-29 14:23:45 (Tuesday)
Supported Expressions
- Relative: "today", "tomorrow", "yesterday"
- Named days: "next monday", "this wednesday", "last friday"
- Offsets: "3 days", "2 weeks", "5 months ago"
- Complex: "tomorrow 3pm", "next monday at 9am"
- Past: "3 days ago", "last week"
Error Handling
If date -d fails with an invalid expression:
- Recognize the failure: If the command returns an error, inform the user the expression couldn't be parsed
- Try alternative approaches: Check
references/reference.mdfor:
- Date arithmetic examples (if user wants relative calculations) - Complex expression syntax (if user wants compound dates) - Unix timestamp calculations (if user wants day differences)
- Fallback to current date: If no alternative works:
date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)'
Example error handling:
# Try parsing
date -d "user expression" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S (%A)' 2>&1
# If error message appears, tell user and suggest checking references/reference.md for advanced patternsAdvanced Usage
For relative calculations, week numbers, and complex date arithmetic, see references/reference.md.