Implement Parse() function that automatically detects and parses common
date formats without requiring explicit layout strings. This provides an
intuitive API for parsing dates from various sources while maintaining
type safety through proper error handling.
Supported formats:
- ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD): "2026-02-09"
- ISO with slash (YYYY/MM/DD): "2026/02/09"
- EU format (DD.MM.YYYY): "09.02.2026"
- RFC2822/RFC1123: "Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000"
Key features:
- Detects and rejects ambiguous slash formats (e.g., "01/02/2026")
- Returns clear, contextual errors for invalid or ambiguous inputs
- Never panics - all errors via return values
- Zero allocations for successful parses
- Comprehensive test coverage (98%)
Performance results:
- ISO format: 105.5 ns/op (94x faster than 10µs target)
- ISO slash: 118.3 ns/op
- EU format: 117.4 ns/op
- RFC2822: 257.8 ns/op
Test coverage:
- 42 unit tests covering valid formats, error cases, edge cases
- 3 example tests demonstrating usage patterns
- Benchmarks for all format types
- Parse() function: 100% coverage
Files added:
- parse.go: Main implementation with Parse() and helper functions
- parse_test.go: Comprehensive test suite with table-driven tests
Files modified:
- example_test.go: Added ExampleParse examples
