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C Program to print the earlier of the two dates

Last updated on September 24, 2020

The following C program asks the user to enter two dates and prints the earlier of the two dates.

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/**********************************************
 Program to print the earlier of the two dates 
 * 
 * Enter first date (MM/DD/YYYY): 20/10/2020
 * Enter second date (MM/DD/YYYY): 02/29/2001
 * 
 * 02/29/2001 comes earlier than 20/10/2020
 **********************************************/

#include<stdio.h> // include stdio.h library
int check_date(int date, int mon, int year);

int main(void)
{
    int day1, mon1, year1,
        day2, mon2, year2;

    int is_leap = 0, is_valid = 1;

    printf("Enter first date (MM/DD/YYYY): ");
    scanf("%d/%d/%d", &mon1, &day1, &year1);

    printf("Enter second date (MM/DD/YYYY): ");
    scanf("%d/%d/%d", &mon2, &day2, &year2);

    if(!check_date(day1, mon1, year1))
    {
        printf("First date is invalid.\n");        
    }

    if(!check_date(day2, mon2, year2))
    {
        printf("Second date is invalid.\n");
        exit(0);
    }

    if(year1 > year2)
    {
        printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon2, day2, year2, mon1, day1, year1);
    }

    else if (year1 < year2)
    {
        printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon1, day1, year1, mon2, day2, year2);
    }

    // year1 ==  year2
    else
    {
        if (mon1 ==  mon2)
        {
            if (day1 ==  day2)
            {
                printf("Both dates are the same.");
            }

            else if(day1 > day2)
            {
                printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon2, day2, year2, mon1, day1, year1);
            }

            else
            {
                printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon1, day1, year1, mon2, day2, year2);
            }
        }

        else if (mon1 > mon2)
        {
            printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon2, day2, year2, mon1, day1, year1);
        }

        else 
        {
            printf("%02d/%02d/%d comes earlier than %02d/%02d/%d", 
                        mon1, day1, year1, mon2, day2, year2);
        }        
    }

    return 0; // return 0 to operating system
}

// function to check whether a date is valid or not

int check_date(int day, int mon, int year)    
{
    int is_valid = 1, is_leap = 0;

    if (year >= 1800 && year <= 9999) 
    {

        //  check whether year is a leap year
        if ((year % 4 == 0 && year % 100 != 0) || (year % 400 == 0)) 
        {
            is_leap = 1;
        }

        // check whether mon is between 1 and 12
        if(mon >= 1 && mon <= 12)
        {
            // check for days in feb
            if (mon == 2)
            {
                if (is_leap && day == 29) 
                {
                    is_valid = 1;
                }
                else if(day > 28) 
                {
                    is_valid = 0;
                }
            }

            // check for days in April, June, September and November
            else if (mon == 4 || mon == 6 || mon == 9 || mon == 11) 
            {
                if (day > 30)
                {
                    is_valid = 0;
                }
            }

            // check for days in rest of the months 
            // i.e Jan, Mar, May, July, Aug, Oct, Dec
            else if(day > 31)
            {            
                is_valid = 0;
            }        
        }

        else
        {
            is_valid = 0;
        }

    }
    else
    {
        is_valid = 0;
    }

    return is_valid;

}

Try it now

Expected Output: 1st run:

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2
3
Enter the first date (MM/DD/YYYY): 05/10/2016
Enter the second date (MM/DD/YYYY): 04/09/2016
04/09/2016 comes earlier than 05/10/2016

2nd run:

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2
3
Enter the first date (MM/DD/YYYY): 02/01/2008 
Enter the second date (MM/DD/YYYY): 02/01/2008
Both dates are the same.

How it works #

The program starts off by asking the user to enter two dates.

In line 27 and 32, we check whether the dates entered is valid or not using a user-defined check_date() function. To learn more about how check_date() function works visit this link.

If either of the dates is invalid, the program terminates with the appropriate error message.

In lines 39-85, we have an if-else statement which compares the two dates. The algorithm to compare the dates work as follows:

  • If year1 > year2, the second date comes earlier than the first.
  • If year1 < year2, the first date comes earlier than the second.
  • If year1 == year2. The following conditions are possible:
    • If mon1 == mon2, The following conditions are possible:
      • If day1 == day2, both dates are the same.
      • If day1 > day2, then the second date comes earlier than the first.
      • If day1 < day2, then the first date comes earlier than the second.
    • If mon1 > mon2, the second date comes earlier than the first.
    • Otherwise, mon1 < mon2 and the first date comes earlier than the second.

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