# perldoc > Date::Manip::Config

---
type: CommandReference
command: Date::Manip::Config
mode: perldoc
section: ""
source: perldoc
---

## Quick Reference

- `$date->config($var1, $val1, ...)` — set config variables on an existing object
- `$date = new Date::Manip::Date($var1, $val1, ...)` — set config at creation
- `Date_Init("$var1=$val1")` — set config in functional interface
- `$date->config("ConfigFile", "/path/to/file")` — load config from file
- `$date->config("Language", "Russian")` — set parsing language
- `$date->config("DateFormat", "US")` — set date format (US vs non-US)
- `$date->config("SetDate", "now,Europe/Rome")` — set current time zone
- `$date->config("ForceDate", "now")` — freeze current time

## Name

`Date::Manip::Config` — configuration for Date::Manip modules

## Synopsis

Configuration is stored in a `Date::Manip::Base` object. It can be set via:
- Constructor arguments: `new Date::Manip::Date($var1, $val1, ...)`
- `$obj->config($var1, $val1, ...)` method
- `Date_Init("$var1=$val1")` for functional interface
- Config files (loaded via `ConfigFile` variable)

## Options

### Basic Configuration

- `Defaults` — resets all config variables to defaults (value ignored)
- `ConfigFile` — path to a config file; may be used multiple times
- `Language` — parsing language (case-insensitive); see `Date::Manip::Lang`
- `Encoding` — character encoding for input/output; e.g., `iso-8859-1` or `iso-8859-1,utf-16`
- `FirstDay` — first day of week (1=Monday, 7=Sunday); default Monday
- `Jan1Week1` — if non-nil, week 1 contains Jan 1 (ignores ISO 8601)
- `Printable` — output format for printable dates: 1=`YYYYMMDDHHMNSS`, 2=`YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MN:SS`

### Date Parsing

- `DateFormat` — `"US"` (MM/DD/YY) or other (DD/MM/YY)
- `YYtoYYYY` — 2-digit year conversion: integer N (CURR-N to CURR+(99-N)), or `"C"` (current century), `"C##"` (specific century), `"C####"` (100-year period)
- `DefaultTime` — time when none given: `"midnight"` (00:00:00) or `"curr"` (current time)
- `PeriodTimeSep` — if non-zero, allow period (`.`) as time separator
- `Format_MMMYYYY` — `"first"` or `"last"` to interpret `"Jun 1925"` as first or last day of month

### Business Configuration

- `WorkWeekBeg`, `WorkWeekEnd` — first and last work days (1=Mon,7=Sun); defaults Mon, Fri
- `WorkDay24Hr` — if non-zero, work day is 24 hours (DST changes accounted)
- `WorkDayBeg`, `WorkDayEnd` — work day start/end times (e.g., `"09:00"`, `"17:00"`)
- `TomorrowFirst` — if 1 (default), nearest business day searches forward; 0 searches backward
- `EraseHolidays`, `EraseEvents` — clears current holiday/event lists (value ignored)

### Recurrence Configuration

- `RecurRange` — default recurrence range: `"none"`, `"year"`, `"month"`, `"week"`, `"day"`, `"all"`
- `MaxRecurAttempts` — max attempts to find matching recurrence dates (default 1? not specified; keep as is)

### Time Zone Configuration

- `TZ` — deprecated; use `SetDate` or `ForceDate`
- `SetDate` — set current date/time/zone and allow it to advance (e.g., `"now,Europe/Rome"`, `"zone,America/Chicago"`, `"DATE"`, `"DATE,ZONE"`, `"DATE,DSTFLAG,ZONE"`)
- `ForceDate` — same as `SetDate` but freezes "now" so it does not change

### Deprecated

- `TZ` — scheduled for removal 2016-03-01; use `SetDate` or `ForceDate`

## Examples

perl
# Create and configure a Date object
$date = new Date::Manip::Date;
$date->config("Language", "Russian", "DateFormat", "US");

# Shorter form
$date = new Date::Manip::Date("Language", "Russian", "DateFormat", "US");

# Load config file
$date->config("ConfigFile", "/home/foo/Manip.cnf");

# Functional interface
Date_Init("Language=Russian", "DateFormat=US");

# Set time zone to Europe/Rome (allow it to advance)
$date->config("SetDate", "now,Europe/Rome");

# Freeze current time
$date->config("ForceDate", "now");
## See Also

- [Date::Manip](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip/markdown) — main module
- [Date::Manip::Base](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ABase/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::TZ](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ATZ/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Date](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ADate/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Delta](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ADelta/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Recur](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ARecur/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Calc](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ACalc/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Holidays](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3AHolidays/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Lang](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3ALang/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Objects](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3AObjects/markdown)
- [Date::Manip::Problems](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Date%3A%3AManip%3A%3AProblems/markdown)