Index: src/OFDate.h
==================================================================
--- src/OFDate.h
+++ src/OFDate.h
@@ -72,10 +72,42 @@
  * \return A new, autoreleased OFDate with the specified date and time
  */
 + dateWithTimeIntervalSinceNow: (int64_t)seconds
 		  microseconds: (uint32_t)microseconds;
 
+/**
+ * \brief Creates a new OFDate with the specified string in the specified
+ *	  format.
+ *
+ * The time zone used is UTC. If a time zone is specified anyway, an
+ * OFInvalidFormatException is thrown. See +[dateWithLocalDateString:format:]
+ * if you want to specify a time zone.
+ *
+ * See the manpage for strptime for information on the format.
+ *
+ * \param string The string describing the date
+ * \param format The format of the string describing the date
+ * \return A new, autoreleased OFDate with the specified date and time
+ */
++ dateWithDateString: (OFString*)string
+	      format: (OFString*)format;
+
+/**
+ * \brief Creates a new OFDate with the specified string in the specified
+ *	  format.
+ *
+ * If no time zone is specified, local time is assumed.
+ *
+ * See the manpage for strptime for information on the format.
+ *
+ * \param string The string describing the date
+ * \param format The format of the string describing the date
+ * \return A new, autoreleased OFDate with the specified date and time
+ */
++ dateWithLocalDateString: (OFString*)string
+		   format: (OFString*)format;
+
 /**
  * \brief Returns a date in the distant future.
  *
  * The date is system-dependant.
  *
@@ -115,25 +147,57 @@
 /**
  * \brief Initializes an already allocated OFDate with the specified date and
  *	  time since now.
  *
  * \param seconds The seconds since now
- * \return A new, autoreleased OFDate with the specified date and time
+ * \return An initialized OFDate with the specified date and time
  */
 - initWithTimeIntervalSinceNow: (int64_t)seconds;
 
 /**
  * \brief Initializes an already allocated OFDate with the specified date and
  *	  time since now.
  *
  * \param seconds The seconds since now
  * \param microseconds The microsecond part of the time
- * \return A new, autoreleased OFDate with the specified date and time
+ * \return An initialized OFDate with the specified date and time
  */
 - initWithTimeIntervalSinceNow: (int64_t)seconds
 		  microseconds: (uint32_t)microseconds;
 
+/**
+ * \brief Initializes an already allocated OFDate with the specified string in
+ *	  the specified format.
+ *
+ * The time zone used is UTC. If a time zone is specified anyway, an
+ * OFInvalidFormatException is thrown. See -[initWithLocalDateString:format:]
+ * if you want to specify a time zone.
+ *
+ * See the manpage for strptime for information on the format.
+ *
+ * \param string The string describing the date
+ * \param format The format of the string describing the date
+ * \return An initialized OFDate with the specified date and time
+ */
+- initWithDateString: (OFString*)string
+	      format: (OFString*)format;
+
+/**
+ * \brief Initializes an already allocated OFDate with the specified string in
+ *	  the specified format.
+ *
+ * If no time zone is specified, local time is assumed.
+ *
+ * See the manpage for strptime for information on the format.
+ *
+ * \param string The string describing the date
+ * \param format The format of the string describing the date
+ * \return An initialized OFDate with the specified date and time
+ */
+- initWithLocalDateString: (OFString*)string
+		   format: (OFString*)format;
+
 /**
  * \brief Returns the microsecond of the date.
  *
  * \return The microsecond of the date
  */

Index: src/OFDate.m
==================================================================
--- src/OFDate.m
+++ src/OFDate.m
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@
 # import "OFThread.h"
 #endif
 
 #import "OFInitializationFailedException.h"
 #import "OFInvalidArgumentException.h"
+#import "OFInvalidFormatException.h"
 #import "OFOutOfRangeException.h"
 
 #import "macros.h"
 
 #if (!defined(HAVE_GMTIME_R) || !defined(HAVE_LOCALTIME_R)) && \
@@ -167,10 +168,24 @@
 {
 	return [[[self alloc]
 	    initWithTimeIntervalSinceNow: seconds
 			    microseconds: microseconds] autorelease];
 }
+
++ dateWithDateString: (OFString*)string
+	      format: (OFString*)format
+{
+	return [[[self alloc] initWithDateString: string
+					  format: format] autorelease];
+}
+
++ dateWithLocalDateString: (OFString*)string
+		   format: (OFString*)format
+{
+	return [[[self alloc] initWithLocalDateString: string
+					       format: format] autorelease];
+}
 
 + distantFuture
 {
 	if (sizeof(time_t) == sizeof(int64_t))
 		return [[[self alloc]
@@ -238,10 +253,63 @@
 	seconds += seconds_;
 	microseconds += microseconds_;
 
 	seconds += microseconds / 1000000;
 	microseconds %= 1000000;
+
+	return self;
+}
+
+- initWithDateString: (OFString*)string
+	      format: (OFString*)format
+{
+	self = [super init];
+
+	@try {
+		struct tm tm = {};
+
+		tm.tm_isdst = -1;
+
+		if (strptime([string UTF8String], [format UTF8String],
+		    &tm) == NULL)
+			@throw [OFInvalidFormatException newWithClass: isa];
+
+		if (tm.tm_gmtoff)
+			@throw [OFInvalidFormatException newWithClass: isa];
+
+		if ((seconds = mktime(&tm)) == -1)
+			@throw [OFInvalidFormatException newWithClass: isa];
+
+		seconds += tm.tm_gmtoff;
+	} @catch (id e) {
+		[self release];
+		@throw e;
+	}
+
+	return self;
+}
+
+- initWithLocalDateString: (OFString*)string
+		   format: (OFString*)format
+{
+	self = [super init];
+
+	@try {
+		struct tm tm = {};
+
+		tm.tm_isdst = -1;
+
+		if (strptime([string UTF8String], [format UTF8String],
+		    &tm) == NULL)
+			@throw [OFInvalidFormatException newWithClass: isa];
+
+		if ((seconds = mktime(&tm)) == -1)
+			@throw [OFInvalidFormatException newWithClass: isa];
+	} @catch (id e) {
+		[self release];
+		@throw e;
+	}
 
 	return self;
 }
 
 - initWithSerialization: (OFXMLElement*)element