python datetime strptime wildcard

Question

I want to parse dates like these into a datetime object:

• December 12th, 2008
• January 1st, 2009

The following will work for the first d

Answer 1

For anyone who, like me, just want something that "works" without an additional module, this is a quick and dirty solution.

string_list = ["th", "rd", "nd", "st"]
time = None
for str in string_list:
    if (time is not None):
        break
    try:
        match_string = '%B %d' + str +', %Y'
        time = datetime.strptime("December 12th, 2008", match_string)
    except Exception:
        pass