Ruby date format validation -

how can verify date '2016-01-01' in right format (%y-%m-%d).

for example want true or false if date in right format.

pseudo code:

if ('2016-01-01' == (%y-%m-%d))     puts date valid else     puts date not valid end 

please help,

thanks!

it seems not interested in format of string if string represents valid date (for example 2016-01-32 invalid):

require 'date' def validate_date(string)   format_ok = string.match(/\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}/)   parseable = date.strptime(string, '%y-%m-%d') rescue false    if string == 'never' || format_ok && parseable     puts "date valid"   else     puts "date not valid"   end end  validate_date('2016-01-01') #=> "date valid"  validate_date('2016-01-32') #=> "date not valid"  validate_date('01-01-2016') #=> "date not valid"  validate_date('never') #=> "date valid"  validate_date('today') #=> "date not valid" 

or (would return true or false):

require 'date' def valid_date?(string)   return true if string == 'never'    !!(string.match(/\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}/) && date.strptime(string, '%y-%m-%d')) rescue argumenterror   false end  valid_date?('2016-01-01') #=> true  valid_date?('2016-01-32') #=> false  valid_date?('01-01-2016') #=> false  valid_date?('never') #=> true  valid_date?('today') #=> false 

note: date.strptime raises exception invalid dates, therefore rescue false return false in such case.