Time Strings

Several commands use time strings to specify a range of times. This section describes how to write time strings.

A time string may be a list of simple time strings separated with a vertical bar `|' or a comma `,'.

Each simple time string must begin with `Su', `Mo', `Tu', `We', `Th', `Fr', or `Sa', or `Wk' for any weekday, or `Any' for any day.

Following the day may be a range of hours separated with a hyphen using 24 hour time. The range of hours may cross 0; for example `2300-0700' means any time except 7 AM to 11 PM. If no time is given, calls may be made at any time on the specified day(s).

The time string may also be the single word `Never', which does not match any time. The time string may also be a single word with a name defined in a previous timetable command (see section Miscellaneous config File Commands).

Here are a few sample time strings with an explanation of what they mean.

`Wk2305-0855,Sa,Su2305-1655'

This means weekdays before 8:55 AM or after 11:05 PM, any time Saturday, or Sunday before 4:55 PM or after 11:05 PM. These are approximately the times during which night rates apply to phone calls in the U.S.A. Note that this time string uses, for example, `2305' rather than `2300'; this will ensure a cheap rate phone call even if the computer clock is running up to five minutes ahead of the real time.

`Wk0905-2255,Su1705-2255'

This means weekdays from 9:05 AM to 10:55 PM, or Sunday from 5:05 PM to 10:55 PM. This is approximately the opposite of the previous example.

`Any'

This means any day. Since no time is specified, it means any time on any day.

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