diff --git a/samples/tests.lua b/samples/tests.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbcd8a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/tests.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,309 @@
+local date = require("date")
+local a,b,c,d,e,y,m,h,s,t
+
+-- get the days between two dates
+d = date.diff("Jan 7 1563", date(1563, 1, 2))
+assert(d:spandays()==5)
+
+assert(date.epoch()==date("jan 1 1970"))
+
+d = date(1776, 1, 1)
+assert(date.isleapyear(d))
+assert(date.isleapyear(d:getyear()))
+assert(date.isleapyear(1776))
+
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 03:56:28 +2:00") == date(2006,07,27,1,56,28))
+
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 -75 ") == date(2006,07,27,1,15,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 -115") == date(2006,07,27,1,15,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 +10 ") == date(2006,07,26,14,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 +2  ") == date(2006,07,26,22,0,0))
+
+--Standard timezone GMT, UTC, EST, EDT, CST, CDT, MST, MDT, PST, PDT are supported. 
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 GMT") == date(2006,07,27,0,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 UTC") == date(2006,07,27,0,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 EST") == date(2006,07,27,5,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 EDT") == date(2006,07,27,4,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 CST") == date(2006,07,27,6,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 CDT") == date(2006,07,27,5,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 MST") == date(2006,07,27,7,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 MDT") == date(2006,07,27,6,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 PST") == date(2006,07,27,8,0,0))
+assert(date("Jul 27 2006 PDT") == date(2006,07,27,7,0,0))
+
+
+--Date Format.  Short dates can use either a "/" or "-" date separator, but must follow the month/day/year format 
+assert(date("02-03-04")==date(1904,02,03))
+assert(date("12/25/98")==date(1998,12,25))
+
+
+--Long dates of the form "July 10 1995" can be given with the year, month, and day in any order, and the year in 2-digit or 4-digit form. If you use the 2-digit form, the year must be greater than or equal to 70. 
+assert(date("Feb-03-04")==date(1904,02,03))
+assert(date("December 25 1998")==date(1998,12,25))
+
+
+--Follow the year with BC or BCE to indicate that the year is before common era. 
+assert(date("Feb 3 0003 BC")==date(-2,02,03))
+assert(date("December 25 0001 BC")==date(0,12,25))
+
+
+--Supported ISO 8601 Formats. 
+--YYYY-MM-DD where YYYY is the year, MM is the month of the year, and DD is the day of the month. assert(date("2000-12-31")==date(2000,12,31))
+assert(date(" 20001231 ")==date(2000,12,31)) -- Compact version
+
+--YYYY-DDD where YYYY is the year, DDD is the day of the year. assert(date("1995-035")==date(1995,02,04))
+assert(date("1995035 ")==date(1995,02,04)) -- Compact version
+
+--YYYY-WDD-D where YYYY is the year, DD is the week of the year, D is the day of the week. assert(date("1997-W01-1")==date(1996,12,30))
+assert(date("  1997W017")==date(1997,01,05)) -- Compact version
+
+--DATE HH:MM:SS.SSS Where DATE is the date format discuss above, HH is the hour, MM is the miute, SS.SSS is the seconds (fraction is optional). assert(date("1995-02-04 24:00:51.536")==date(1995,2,5,0,0,51.536))
+assert(date("1976-W01-1 12:12:12.123")==date(1975,12,29,12,12,12.123))
+assert(date("1995-035 23:59:59.99999")==date(1995,02,04,23,59,59.99999))
+-- Compact version separated by latin capital letter T
+assert(date("  19950205T000051.536  ")==date(1995,2,5,0,0,51.536))
+assert(date("  1976W011T121212.123  ")==date(1975,12,29,12,12,12.123))
+assert(date(" 1995035T235959.99999  ")==date(1995,02,04,23,59,59.99999))
+
+--DATE TIME +HH:MM, DATE TIME -HHMM, DATE TIME Z,Where DATE and TIME is the dateand time format discuss above. First character is a sign "+" (east of UTC) or "-" (west of UTC). HH and MM is Hours and minutes offset. The Z stands for the zero offset. assert(date("1976-W01-1 12:00Z     ")==date(1975,12,29,12))
+assert(date("1976-W01-1 13:00+01:00")==date(1975,12,29,12))
+assert(date("1976-W01-1 0700-0500  ")==date(1975,12,29,12))
+
+a = date(2006, 8, 13)   assert(a == date("Sun Aug 13 2006"))
+b = date("Jun 13 1999") assert(b == date(1999, 6, 13))
+c = date(1234483200)    assert(c == date("Feb 13 2009"))
+d = date({year=2009, month=11, day=13, min=6})
+	assert(d == date("Nov 13 2009 00:06:00"))
+e = date() assert(e)
+
+a = date(1521,5,2)
+b = a:copy():addseconds(0.001)
+
+assert((a - b):spanseconds() == -0.001)
+assert((a + b) == (b + a))
+assert(a == (b - date("00:00:00.001")) )
+assert(b == (a + date("00:00:00.001")) )
+
+b:addseconds(-0.01)
+
+assert(a >  b and b <  a)
+assert(a >= b and b <= a)
+assert(a ~= b and (not(a == b)))
+
+a = b:copy()
+
+assert(not (a >  b and b <  a))
+assert(a >= b and b <= a)
+assert(a == b and (not(a ~= b)))
+
+assert((a .. 565369) == (b .. 565369))
+assert((a .. "????") == (b .. "????"))
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = date(a):adddays(3)
+c = date.diff(b,a)
+assert(c:spandays() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = date(a):addhours(3)
+c = date.diff(b,a)
+assert(c:spanhours() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = date(a):addminutes(3)
+c = date.diff(b,a)
+assert(c:spanminutes() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,28):addmonths(3)
+assert(a:getmonth() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = date(a):addseconds(3)
+c = date.diff(b,a)
+assert(c:spanseconds() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = date(a):addticks(3)
+c = date.diff(b,a)
+assert(c:spanticks() == 3)
+
+a = date(2000,12,30):addyears(3)
+assert(a:getyear() == (2000+3))
+
+a = date(2000,12,30)
+b = a:copy()
+assert(a==b)
+
+d = date(1582,10,5)
+assert(d:fmt('%D') == d:fmt("%m/%d/%y"))	-- month/day/year from 01/01/00 (12/02/79)
+assert(d:fmt('%F') == d:fmt("%Y-%m-%d"))	-- year-month-day (1979-12-02)
+assert(d:fmt('%h') == d:fmt("%b"))			-- same as %b (Dec)
+assert(d:fmt('%r') == d:fmt("%I:%M:%S %p"))	-- 12-hour time, from 01:00:00 AM (06:55:15 AM)
+assert(d:fmt('%T') == d:fmt("%H:%M:%S"))	-- 24-hour time, from 00:00:00 (06:55:15)
+assert(d:fmt('%a %A %b %B') == "Tue Tuesday Oct October")
+assert(d:fmt('%C %d') == "15 05", d:fmt('%C %d'))
+
+print(d:fmt[[
+${iso} -- iso
+${http} -- http
+${ctime} -- ctime
+${rfc850} -- rfc850
+${rfc1123} -- rfc1123
+${asctime} -- asctime
+]])
+
+-- Prints the current date and time, including time zone
+d = date(false);
+print(d:fmt("Today is %c GMT%z"))
+--> "Today is Tue Oct 31 2000 01:58:14 GMT-0330"
+
+-- Prints the current date and time in ISO format including time zone
+d = date(false);
+print(d:fmt("Today is ${iso}%z"))
+--> "Today is 2000-10-31T01:58:14-0330"
+
+-- Prints the current date and time in ISO format, indicates UTC
+d = date(true);
+print(d:fmt("Today is ${iso}Z"))
+--> "Today is 2000-10-31T05:28:14Z"
+
+a = date(2^16)
+print(a:getbias())
+
+a = date("10:59:59 pm")
+assert(a:getclockhour()==10)
+
+a = date(1970, 1, 1)
+y, m, d = a:getdate()
+assert(y == 1970 and m == 1 and d == 1)
+
+d = date(1966, 'sep', 6)
+assert(d:getday() == 6)
+
+d = date("Wed Apr 04 2181 11:51:06.996 UTC")
+assert(d:getfracsec() == 6.996)
+
+d = date("Wed Apr 04 2181 11:51:06 UTC")
+assert(d:gethours() == 11)
+
+d = date(1970, 1, 1)
+assert(d:getisoweekday() == 4)
+
+d = date(1975, 12, 29)
+assert(d:getisoweeknumber() == 1)
+assert(d:getisoyear() == 1976)
+assert(d:getisoweekday() == 1)
+d = date(1977, 1, 2)
+assert(d:getisoweeknumber() == 53)
+assert(d:getisoyear() == 1976)
+assert(d:getisoweekday() == 7)
+
+d = date(1996, 12, 30)
+assert(d:getisoyear() == 1997)
+d = date(1997, 01, 05)
+assert(d:getisoyear() == 1997)
+
+d = date("Wed Apr 04 2181 11:51:06 UTC")
+assert(d:getminutes() == 51)
+
+d = date(1966, 'sep', 6)
+assert(d:getmonth() == 9)
+
+d = date("Wed Apr 04 2181 11:51:06.123 UTC")
+assert(d:getseconds() == 6)
+
+d = date("Wed Apr 04 2181 11:51:06.123 UTC")
+assert(d:getticks() == 123000)
+
+a = date({hour=5,sec=.5,min=59})
+h, m, s, t = a:gettime()
+assert(t == 500000 and s == 0 and m == 59 and h == 5, tostring(a))
+
+d = date(1970, 1, 1)
+assert(d:getweekday() == 5)
+
+a = date("12/31/1972")
+b,c = a:getweeknumber(), a:getweeknumber(2)
+assert(b==53 and c==52)
+
+d = date(1965, 'jan', 0)
+assert(d:getyear() == 1964)
+
+d = date(2181, 1, 12)
+assert(d:getyearday() == 12)
+
+d = date(1966, 'july', 6)
+d:setday(1)
+assert(d == date("1966 july 1"))
+
+d = date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 39, 54)
+d:sethours(1, 1, 1)
+assert(d == date("1984 DEc 3 1:1:1"))
+
+d = date.isodate(1999, 52, 1)
+d:setisoweekday(7)
+assert(d == date(2000, 1, 02))
+
+d = date(1999, 12, 27)
+d:setisoweeknumber(51, 7)
+assert(d == date(1999, 12, 26))
+
+d = date(1999, 12, 27)
+d:setisoyear(2000, 1)
+assert(d == date.isodate(2000,1,1))
+assert(d:getyear() == 2000)
+assert(d:getday() == 3)
+
+d = date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 39, 54)
+d:setminutes(59, 59, 500)
+assert(d == date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 59, 59, 500))
+
+d = date(1966, 'july', 6)
+d:setmonth(1)
+assert(d == date("6 jan 1966"))
+
+d = date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 39, 54)
+d:setseconds(59, date.ticks())
+assert(d == date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 40))
+
+d = date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 39, 54)
+d:setticks(444)
+assert(d == date(1984, 12, 3, 4, 39, 54, 444))
+
+d = date(1966, 'july', 6)
+d:setyear(2000)
+assert(d == date("jul 6 2000"))
+
+a = date(2181, "aPr", 4, 6, 30, 30, 15000)
+b = date(a):adddays(2)
+c = date.diff(b, a)
+assert(c:spandays() == (2))
+
+a = date(2181, "aPr", 4, 6, 30, 30, 15000)
+b = date(a):adddays(2)
+c = date.diff(b, a)
+assert(c:spanhours() == (2*24))
+
+a = date(2181, "aPr", 4, 6, 30, 30, 15000)
+b = date(a):adddays(2)
+c = date.diff(b, a)
+assert(c:spanminutes() == (2*24*60))
+
+a = date(2181, "aPr", 4, 6, 30, 30, 15000)
+b = date(a):adddays(2)
+c = date.diff(b, a)
+assert(c:spanseconds() == (2*24*60*60))
+
+a = date(2181, "aPr", 4, 6, 30, 30, 15000)
+b = date(a):adddays(2)
+c = date.diff(b, a)
+assert(c:spanseconds() == (2*24*60*60))
+
+a = date(2^16)
+b = a:copy():tolocal();
+print(a,b)
+
+a = date(2^16)
+b = a:copy():toutc();
+print(a,b)
+