date.parse

Description

Parses a date/time string into a Date object using an optional pattern. Supports explicit patterns and falls back to standard Date parsing for other formats.

Syntax

flex.date.parse(dateString, pattern, timezone)

Parameters

Returns

Type: Date

A Date object representing the parsed date/time. Returns null if parsing fails.

Examples

Example 1: Parse Date Only

RETURN flex.date.parse('2024-03-15', 'YYYY-MM-DD') AS date

Output:

date
-----------------------------
2024-03-15T00:00:00.000Z (Date object)

Example 2: Parse DateTime

RETURN flex.date.parse('2024-03-15T14:30:00', 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss') AS datetime

Example 3: Auto-detect ISO Format

RETURN flex.date.parse('2024-03-15T14:30:00Z') AS dt

Example 4: Parse with Timezone Context

WITH '2024-03-15 10:00:00' AS localTime
RETURN flex.date.parse(localTime, 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss', '+05:00') AS utcTime

(Interprets input as being in +05:00 timezone and converts to UTC)

Example 5: Batch Import with Date Parsing

UNWIND $events AS event
CREATE (e:Event {
    name: event.name,
    date: flex.date.parse(event.dateString, 'YYYY-MM-DD')
})

Notes

Returns null for invalid or unparseable date strings
Supported explicit patterns: 'YYYY-MM-DD', 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss' and 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss' (both T and space separators are accepted)
Falls back to JavaScript Date constructor for other formats (ISO8601, etc.)
Timezone parameter interprets the input time as local time in that offset
All dates are normalized to UTC internally