I need to check if the date is in the past. This is what I have so far. JSfiddle here.

var date = "09/12/2013";
var d = new Date();
var month = d.getMonth() + 1;
var day = d.getDate();
var todaysDate = +(('' + day).length < 2 ? '0' : '') + day + '/' + (('' + month).length < 2 ? '0' : '') + month + '/' + d.getFullYear();

if (date < todaysDate) {
    alert("in the past");
} else {
    alert("in the future");
}

Currently it is saying that the date was in the past, when it should be in the future. I know I need to parse the string as a date, but not sure how.

Help?

I need to check if the date is in the past. This is what I have so far. JSfiddle here.

var date = "09/12/2013";
var d = new Date();
var month = d.getMonth() + 1;
var day = d.getDate();
var todaysDate = +(('' + day).length < 2 ? '0' : '') + day + '/' + (('' + month).length < 2 ? '0' : '') + month + '/' + d.getFullYear();

if (date < todaysDate) {
    alert("in the past");
} else {
    alert("in the future");
}

Currently it is saying that the date was in the past, when it should be in the future. I know I need to parse the string as a date, but not sure how.

Help?

• javascript
• jquery
• date

3 Answers 3

With that input format, you can't use a string parison, because the least significant values are on the left. Note: I'm assuing that date is December 9th, 2013. If you're doing the American thing where it's September 12th, 2013, you'll have to adjust the indexes into parts below.

You could reverse the fields:

var date = "09/12/2013";
var parts = date.split('/');
date = parts[2] + "/" + parts[1] + "/" + parts[0];

...and then do your string parison (being sure to construct the string for "today" in the same order — year/month/day).

If you're going to do that, you could go ahead and finish the job

var date = "09/12/2013";
var parts = date.split('/');
var date = new Date(parseInt(parts[2], 10),     // year
                    parseInt(parts[1], 10) - 1, // month, starts with 0
                    parseInt(parts[0], 10));    // day
if (date < new Date()) {
    // It's in the past, including one millisecond ago
}

...but of course, if you don't want the expression to be true for one millisecond ago, your string approach is fine.

var date = new Date("09/12/2013");
var d = new Date();
console.log(date>d); // true
var date = new Date("09/12/2011");
console.log(date>d); // false

JavaScript's native Date parator only works on Date objects, whereas you are paring Strings. You should parse date into a Date object, and then pare it with d.

//define parse(string) --> Date
if(parse(date) < new Date()) {
  alert('past');
} else {
  alert('future');
}