if 'date' in items:

        str_ = items['date']

        try: import dateutil.parser

        except ImportError: return str_

        try: date = dateutil.parser.parse(str_)

        except ValueError, e: raise SyntaxException(e)

    else:

        year = items['year']

        month = items.get('month', '1')

        day = items.get('day', '1')

        try:

            year = float(year)

            month = int(month)

            day = int(day)

        except ValueError, e: raise SyntaxException(e)

        date = (datetime.date(int(year), month, day) +

            datetime.timedelta(round((year % 1.)*365)))