CronDate

CronDate is a small JavaScript class to create and manage cron-friendly dates.

1. Introduction

Cron is a very powerful tool. CronDate is only a JavaScript class that can manipulate (JavaScript objects that represent) dates that are cron-friendly.

What is a cron-friendly date?

A cron-friendly date is a date representation that fits the type of date representations that cron expects to find.

What is CronDate for, then?

CronDate was made in order to be combined with other tools, or directly with cron itself. So, in a few words, to ease the management of dates that follow the cron format.

Note: there are different implementations of cron. We use as reference the standard cron syntax.

2. Installation

You can install CronDate from NPM. From your command-line, type:

~$ npm install crondate

3. Usage

1) Import the module from your code:

var CronDate = require("crondate");

2) Create a new CronDate:

var crondate1 = new CronDate();
var crondate2 = CronDate();
var crondate3 = CronDate({
  minute: 5,
  hour: 3,
  day: 5,
  month: 10,
  dayOfWeek: 1
});

3) Override the default values of the date:

crondate1.set({
  day: 25,
  month: 12,
  hour: "*",
  minute: 0
});

4) Obtain the string (the true cron date now):

var cronRef1 = crondate1.asString();
// Expect: "0 * 25 12 *"

4. Reference: CronDate API

1) The format for cron dates is:

{minute} {hour} {day} {month} {day of the week}

2) The default value that CronDate takes is:

0 * * * *

Which means:

for minute 0 of every hour, of every day, of every month and in any day of the week

3) Methods of a CronDate instance:

{CronDate}.set(overrider)

Description:

You can use this method to change the minute, hour, day, month or dayOfWeek of the current {CronDate} instance.

Parameters:

• overrider: {Object} set of properties and values to be added to the CronDate instance. Mainly, you will want to modify: minute, hour, day, month, dayOfWeek.

Returns

The {CronDate} instance itself.

{CronDate}.asString()

Description:

With this method, you can obtain the {CronDate} instance representation, in a cron-friendly format.

Returns

A {String} representing the current state of this {CronDate} instance, but in a cron-friendly format.

4) Properties of a CronDate instance:

• minute: by default 0.

• hour: by default *.

• day: by default *.

• month: by default *.

• dayOfWeek: by default *.