# Comparing Dates

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/comparing-dates/66879>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 30, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/comparing-dates/66879 "2006-08-30T00:53:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/parvg)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/comparing-dates/66879/1 "2006-08-30T00:53:36Z")

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Hi,  
This might be simple question for some you so.

I’m trying to compare today’s dates with another date, which is in the  
format of mm/dd/yy. Can somebody help?

I tried the following, but it doesn’t work:  
require ‘date’

if(Date.today \<=\> “09/29/06”) or (Date.today \<=\> “092906”)  
…  
else  
…  
end

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/parvg)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/comparing-dates/66879/2 "2006-08-30T01:07:03Z")

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On Wed, 30 Aug 2006, Parv G. wrote:

> …  
> else  
> …  
> end

require ‘date’

Date.today == Date.parse(‘08/29/2006’)

Kirk H.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@parvg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/parvg)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/comparing-dates/66879/3 "2006-08-30T01:05:02Z")

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On Aug 29, 2006, at 3:53 PM, Parv G. wrote:

> …  
> else  
> …  
> end

Your code compares a date and a string. Try comparing two dates. If  
you don’t know how to make a new date, try google or

[http://www.rubycentral.com/book/](http://www.rubycentral.com/book/)

BTW \<=\> is probably not what you want to compare with. It always  
returns a number, and numbers are true, so your if statement doesn’t  
make much sense.

irb(main):010:0\> 1 \<=\> 2  
=\> -1  
irb(main):011:0\> 1 \<=\> 0  
=\> 1  
irb(main):012:0\> 1 \<=\> 1  
=\> 0  
irb(main):013:0\>

– Elliot T.

> **[Curiosity Blog – Elliot Temple](https://www.curi.us/blog/)**
>
> A philosophy blog