Controller 25.4
Controller Reference

# extract_date

The `extract_date` function searches a string for a date and returns the date. This function uses standard IDOL date formats. All date and time input is treated as local time unless it contains explicit time zone information.

The following table describes the standard IDOL date formats:

`YY` | Year (2 digits). For example, 99, 00, 01 and so on.
`YYYY` | Year (4 digits). For example, 1999, 2000, 2001 and so on.
`#YY+` | Year (2 or 4 digits). If you provide 2 digits, then it uses the `YY` format. If you provide 4 digits, it uses the `YYYY` format. For example, it interprets `07` as `2007 AD` and `1007` as `1007 AD`.
`#Y` | Year (1 to a maximum of 16 digits) and can be followed by `AD` or `BC`. An apostrophe (`'`) immediately before the year denotes a truncated year. For example, `2008`, `'97` (interpreted as `1997`), `97` (interpreted as `97 AD`), `'08` (interpreted as `2008`), `2008 AD` and `200 BC`. A truncated year with a BC identifier is invalid (`'08 BC`).
`#FULLYEAR` | Year (1 to a maximum of 16 digits). For example `8`, `98`, `108`, `2008`, each of which is taken literally. The year is taken relative to the common EPOCH (0AD).
`#ADBC` | Time Period. For example, `AD`, `CE`, `BC`, `BCE` or any predefined list of EPOCH indicators. Typically, the year specified using the above Year formats is interpreted as un-truncated and relative to the EPOCH. For example, 84 AD is interpreted as 1984 AD and 84 BC is interpreted as 84 BC. The only exception to this is when you use both `#YY+` and `#ADBC`. In this case, the format is interpreted as un-truncated even if the year was set to truncated by `#YY+`. For example, 99 AD is interpreted as the year 99 AD. OpenText recommends you use only `YY`, `YYYY` or `#FULLYEAR` with `#ADBC`.
`LONGMONTH` | A long month, for example, `January`, `February` and so on.
`SHORTMONTH` | A short month, for example, `Jan`, `Feb` and so on.
`MM` | Month (2 digits). For example,`01`, `10`, `12` and so on.
`M+` | Month (1 or 2 digits). For example, `1`,`2`,`3`,`10` and so on.
`DD` | Day (2 digits). For example, `01`, `02`, `03`, `12`, `23` and so on.
`D+` | Day (1 or 2 digits). For example, `1`, `2`, `12`, `13`, `31` and so on.
`LONGDAY` | 2 digits with a postfix. For example, `1st`, `2nd` and so on.
`HH` | Hour (2 digits). For example, `01`, `12`, `13` and so on.
`H+` | Hour (1 or 2 digits).
`NN` | Minute (2 digits).
`N+` | Minute (1 or 2 digits).
`SS` | Second (2 digits).
`S+` | Second (1 or 2 digits).
`ZZZ` | Time Zone, for example, `GMT`, `EST`, `PST`, and so on.
`ZZZZZ` | Time Difference (1 to 9 digits). For example, +04 denotes 4 hours ahead of UTC. Other examples include +4, +04, +0400, +0400 MSD (the string MSD is ignored). A further example is +030, in this case the time differences is interpreted as 30 minutes.
`#PM` | AM or PM indicator (2 characters). For example, 2001/09/09 02:46:40 pm
`#S` | A space

The following table shows some example date and time formats:

Date and time format string | Example date
--- | ---
`DD/MM/YYYY` | 09/05/2013
`D+ SHORTMONTH YYYY` | 2 Jan 2001
`D+ LONGMONTH YYYY HH:NN:SS ZZZZZ` | 17 August 2003 10:41:07 -0400

## Syntax

    extract_date( input, formatCSV, outputFormat )

## Arguments

Argument | Description
--- | ---
`input` | (string) The string that you want to search for a date.
`formatCSV` | (string) A comma-separated list of the possible date and time formats for dates contained in the input.
`outputFormat` | (string) The format for the output.

## Returns

(String). A string containing the date and time in the desired format.

## Example

The following example would return the value "1989/01/14":

    extract_date("This string contains a date 14/01/1989 somewhere", "DD/YYYY/MM,DD/MM/YYYY", "YYYY/MM/DD")

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Version 25.4 | Last updated October 2025

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Product: Knowledge Discovery Controller 25.4

Topic Title: extract_date