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The function #'org-time-stamp prompts a minibuffer that reads control strings from the user, and call #'org-insert-time-stamp to insert the resulting time stamp as a string into the buffer. For example, the control string "2021-01-01 9am" results to the time stamp "<2021-01-01 Fri 09:00>".

How to factor these functions to create a new function that still prompts a minibuffer, but only returns a string without insertion? Some thing like

(org-time-stamp-read "2021-01-01 9am") 
;; => "<2021-01-01 Fri 09:00>"
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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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org-read-date does what you want:

org-read-date is a compiled Lisp function in `org.el'.

(org-read-date &optional WITH-TIME TO-TIME FROM-STRING PROMPT
DEFAULT-TIME DEFAULT-INPUT INACTIVE)

Read a date, possibly a time, and make things smooth for the user.
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A direct way that offers the same result is

(with-temp-buffer
  (org-time-stamp nil)
  (buffer-string))

However, this is not efficient enough. I still hope to see a proper factoring.

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  • Why do you think that is not efficient enough?
    – NickD
    Jun 10, 2021 at 23:50
  • Because #'org-time-stamp must have included the functionality I want. My method effectively gets the desired string, write it to a temporary buffer, and then copy the buffer string to the result.
    – Student
    Jun 11, 2021 at 3:52
  • You are right that it is (slightly) inefficient in that respect, but in practice, this is a pretty good way to go: the inefficiency is probably not going to manifest itself unless you do this millions of times. You can try profiling the code and see how much of a difference it makes. I grant you that the other answer is probably a better way to go in this case.
    – NickD
    Jun 11, 2021 at 14:37

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