Handling HTTP date and time stamp formats

An application program that interacts with the Web through CICS® might need to produce the correct date and time stamp format in HTTP headers. Application programs might also need to work with date and time stamp information received from the Web. The CONVERTTIME and FORMATTIME commands enable you to handle common architected date and time stamp string formats used for HTTP.

You can use the CONVERTTIME command to convert an architected date and time stamp string to ABSTIME. You do not need to identify the format of the date and time stamp; the CONVERTTIME command recognizes and converts three different date and time stamp formats which are commonly used on the Internet.

You can use the FORMATTIME command to convert the current date and time (in ABSTIME format), or a date and time produced by the application program (such as an expiry date), into the RFC 1123 format.