Date strptime returns invalid date

Question

Here is my IRB session

1.9.2p290 :020 > Date.strptime("31-2-2010", "%d-%m-%Y")
ArgumentError: invalid date

I have given the proper values, yet it is returning ArgumentError. Am I missing something here?

Answer 1

Yes, you are missing something:
There are never 31 days in February, regardless of the year.

You have given it an invalid date.

Answer 2

Note that Time.strptime("31-2-2010", "%d-%m-%Y") would give you 2010-03-03 00:00:00 +0000.

I use Time.strptime("31-2-2010", "%d-%m-%Y").to_date to avoid invalid date errors.