Date/time as new Parameters for Button bar, user cmd

[hi5]

Update January 2024: Pseudo environment variable %$DATE% was introduced in 2023, and as of TC v11.03 supports an offset as well

This has been mentioned in several posts, but I thought I'd make it a poll to gain some feedback and hopefully draw some attention.

I'd like to have the option to pass on date and time based parameters in button bars and user commands.

If we could only have one option, I suggest a Parameter which will produce a date/time in the following format

%K ("Kurrent time?") YYYYMMDDHH24MISS
(K just a suggestion can be other free letter, but seems as good as any)

substring fields will give the user the ability to abstract parts they need such as the YEAR:

%K:~1,4 -> 2021

Wish 1

%K followed by letter (or a number) which could be:

a Abbreviated weekday name (Mon)
A Full weekday name (Monday)
b Abbreviated month name (Mar)
B Full month name (March)
d Day of month as decimal number (01-31)
H Hour in 24-hour format (00-23)
I Hour in 12-hour format (01-12)
j Day of year as decimal number (001-366)
m Month as decimal number (01-12)
M Minute as decimal number (00-59)
p Current locale’s A.M./P.M. indicator for 12-hour clock
S Second as decimal number (00-59)
U Week of year as decimal number, with Sunday as first day of week (00-53)
w Weekday as decimal number (0-6; Sunday is 0)
W Week of year as decimal number, with Monday as first day of week (00-53)
y Year without century, as decimal number (00-99)
Y Year with century, as decimal number
z Time-zone name or abbreviation; no characters if time zone is unknown

Wish 2

Adding an Offset option, so if you want yesterdays date: 1d. 10 minutes ago: 10M

%K1d If %K 20211204215512 -> 20211203215512 one day (d, see above)
%K3m If %K 20211204215512 -> 20210904215512 three months (m, see above)
%Ka1d Fri (today is Sat, one day (d, see above))
etc

[hi5]

17.05.23 Added: New pseudo environment variable %$DATE% inserts current date and time in the form YYYYMMDDhhmmss, or use placeholders from multi-rename, e.g. %$DATE:YMDhHmsi% (32/64)
Source: https://www.ghisler.com/history1100.txt

I have chosen a different approach: In beta 3, have added a new pseudo environment variable %$DATE% which inserts the current date in the form YYYYMMDDhhmmss. It also supports the same placeholders as the multi-rename tool, e.g.
%$DATE:YMDhms% and also the 12 hour format variations H and i, and 2 digit years y.
In addition to that, it allows any separators like dots or dashes. In the parameters field you can use e.g.
?%|$DATE:Y-M-D h.m.s|
It also supports partial strings like other environment variables with the ~ syntax.

[hi5]

Suggestion: As we now have %$DATE:placeholders%, Add an offset option (Seconds, Minutes, Hours, or Days)
viewtopic.php?t=80417

[hi5]

* Pseudo environment variable %$DATE% now supports an offset, e.g. %$DATE+1Y% (use %|$DATE+1Y| in parameters field)