VMS Help DCL Tips, Date Time  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    When a command requires a qualifier that specifies a date/time
    value, the value is either an absolute time, delta time, or a
    combination of the two.

1 - Absolute

    Absolute time includes a specific date or time of day. An
    absolute date/time has one of the following formats:

 	dd-mmm-yyyy
 	hh:mm:ss.cc
         dd-mmm-yyyy:hh:mm:ss.cc
 	"dd-mmm-yyyy hh:mm:ss.cc"
         TODAY
         YESTERDAY
         TOMORROW

    You can omit any of the trailing fields in the date or time. You
    can omit any of the fields in the middle of the format as long as
    you specify the punctuation marks, for example, "-mmm-yyyy hh".

2 - Combination

    Combination time consists of an absolute time value plus or
    minus a delta time value. Combination time can use either of
    the following formats:

         "[absolute time][+delta time]"
          [absolute time][-delta time]

    You can omit the absolute time value. If you do, the delta
    time is offset from the current date and time. Whenever a plus
    sign (+) precedes the delta time value, enclose the entire time
    specification in quotation marks.

3 - Delta

    Delta time is an offset from the current time to a time in the
    future. Delta time has the following format:

         "+[dddd-][hh:mm:ss.cc]"

    You can truncate delta time after the hour field. You can also
    omit any of the fields after the hour field format as long as you
    specify the punctuation marks.

4 - Examples

    1.$ PRINT/AFTER=11-DEC-1996:13 NOVEMBER_REPORT.LIS
      $ PRINT/AFTER="11-DEC-1996 13" NOVEMBER_REPORT.LIS

      Both examples specify in absolute time that the file
      NOVEMBER_REPORT.LIS will be printed on December 11, at 1:00 p.m.

    2.$ PRINT/AFTER=11-DEC-1996:13-1:00 NOVEMBER_REPORT.LIS

      This example specifies in combination time that the file will
      be printed at 12:00 p.m. on December 11, 1996.

    3.$ PRINT/AFTER="+3" NOVEMBER_REPORT.LIS

      This example specifies in delta time that the file will be
      printed 3 hours from the present time.