Index: raw2proc/trunk/raw2proc/procutil.py
===================================================================
--- raw2proc/trunk/raw2proc/procutil.py (revision 320)
+++ raw2proc/trunk/raw2proc/procutil.py (revision 333)
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-# Last modified:  Time-stamp: <2010-04-07 17:41:26 haines>
+# Last modified:  Time-stamp: <2010-04-29 09:44:03 haines>
 """Utilities to help data processing 
 
    Mostly time functions right now
 
-   TO DO:
-   check_configs()
-   unit conversions (udunits?)
 """
 
@@ -122,7 +119,21 @@
     # default string format follows convention YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss
     
-    t = time.strptime(ts, fmt)
-    # the '*' operator unpacks the tuple, producing the argument list.
-    dt = datetime(*t[0:6])
+    try:
+        t = time.strptime(ts, fmt)
+        # the '*' operator unpacks the tuple, producing the argument list.
+        dt = datetime(*t[0:6])
+    except ValueError, e:
+        # value error if something not valid for datetime
+        # e.g. month 1...12, something parsed wrong
+        dt = None
+    else:
+        # absolute difference in days from now (UTC)
+        z = dt - datetime.utcnow()
+        daysdiff = abs(z.days)
+        # if this date unreasonable (>10 years*365), throw it out
+        # something parsed wrong
+        if daysdiff > 3650:
+            dt = None                
+
     return dt