python / python/cpython

`plstlib`: Raise `ValueError` instead of `TypeError` when loading a partial ISO 8601 date

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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

Bug report

plistlib is documented (in the code) to accept ISO 8601 <date> values where the smaller units are omitted: the date regex _dateParser makes the month, day and time components optional, and the comment above it says "Smaller units may be omitted with a loss of precision".

However, when a <date> value actually omits the day or month, loading fails with a confusing internal TypeError instead of producing a datetime:

>>> import plistlib
>>> plistlib.loads(b'<plist><date>2024-06Z</date></plist>')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  ...
TypeError: datetime() missing required argument 'day' (pos 3)
>>> plistlib.loads(b'<plist><date>2024Z</date></plist>')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  ...
TypeError: datetime() missing required argument 'month' (pos 2)

Dates that omit only the time components work fine:

>>> plistlib.loads(b'<plist><date>2024-06-07Z</date></plist>')
datetime.datetime(2024, 6, 7, 0, 0)
>>> plistlib.loads(b'<plist><date>2024-06-07T08Z</date></plist>')
datetime.datetime(2024, 6, 7, 8, 0)

The cause is in Lib/plistlib.py, _date_from_string(): it builds the positional argument list for datetime.datetime() by stopping at the first missing component, so for 2024-06Z it only passes (2024, 6) — fewer than the three required arguments (year, month, day).

The omitted components should default to the start of the period (month=1, day=1, hour/minute/second=0), consistent with how omitted time components already behave and with the documented "loss of precision".

I have a fix with a regression test ready (#151217).

CPython versions tested on:

3.16, CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Linked PRs
  • gh-151217
  • gh-151285
  • gh-152958
  • gh-153244

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start in Lib/plistlib.py at _date_from_string() and review the _dateParser comment and matching behavior for partial ISO 8601 dates. Use the examples in the issue as regression cases, then check linked PR #151217 and the other linked work before proceeding; done means omitted month, day, and time components load without the reported TypeError.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
data
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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