@elementmints/date

A lightweight (<10 KB gzipped), dependency-free, attribute-driven date picker for the web. Drop in a script tag, add data-datepicker to an input, and you're done -- no configuration required.

Features

• Auto-init -- just add data-datepicker to any <input> and the picker initializes itself
• Segment editing -- type directly into day, month, and year segments with arrow-key navigation
• Dual format -- separate display format (DD/MM/YYYY) from the submitted value (ISO, epoch, or unix)
• Validation -- built-in required, min/max range, and custom rules (weekday, future, past); async validation via URL
• Accessibility -- full ARIA attributes, focus trapping, screen-reader announcements, keyboard navigation
• Internationalization -- locale-aware month and day names powered by Intl.DateTimeFormat
• Theming -- light, dark, and system-preference themes via CSS custom properties
• Zero dependencies -- no runtime dependencies, ever

Quick Start

CDN

The fastest way to get started. Include the script and stylesheet, then add data-datepicker to an input:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@elementmints/date/dist/date.min.css">
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@elementmints/date/dist/iife/date.min.js"></script>

<input type="text" data-datepicker>

That's it. The picker auto-initializes on DOMContentLoaded.

NPM

npm install @elementmints/date

import { initAll } from '@elementmints/date';
import '@elementmints/date/css';

// Initialize all [data-datepicker] elements on the page
initAll();

Or create instances manually:

import { DatePicker } from '@elementmints/date';
import '@elementmints/date/css';

const picker = new DatePicker(document.getElementById('my-input'));

HTML Attributes

All configuration is driven by data-* attributes on the input element (or its parent container).

Attribute	Default	Description
data-datepicker	--	Required. Marks the element for auto-initialization.
data-format	YYYY-MM-DD	Display format string. Tokens: DD, MM, YYYY.
data-min	--	Minimum selectable date (ISO string, e.g. 2026-01-01).
data-max	--	Maximum selectable date (ISO string, e.g. 2026-12-31).
data-value	--	Initial date value (ISO string).
data-value-type	iso	Output format for the submitted value: iso, epoch, or unix.
data-locale	en	BCP 47 locale tag for month/day names (e.g. de-DE, fr-FR, ja).
data-week-start	1	First day of the week: 0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, ... 6 = Saturday.
data-theme	system	Visual theme: light, dark, or system (follows OS preference).
data-placeholder	--	Placeholder text shown when the input is empty.
data-required	false	Whether a date value is required for form validation.
data-disabled-dates	--	Comma-separated ISO date strings to disable (e.g. 2026-12-25,2026-01-01).
data-validate	--	Comma-separated validation rules: weekday, future, past.
data-validate-url	--	URL for async server-side validation (receives a POST with the date).
data-disabled	false	Disables the date picker entirely.
data-read-only	false	Makes the input read-only (calendar still opens but value cannot change).
data-name	--	Name attribute for the hidden form input used in submission.
data-close-on-select	true	Whether the calendar closes automatically after selecting a date.
data-show-today	true	Show the "Today" button in the calendar footer.
data-show-clear	true	Show the "Clear" button in the calendar footer.
data-keyboard	true	Enable keyboard navigation within the calendar.
data-class-name	--	Custom CSS class(es) added to the picker wrapper element.
data-position	auto	Calendar popup position: bottom, top, or auto.

Examples

Basic Date Picker

<input type="text" data-datepicker>

Min and Max Range

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-min="2026-01-01"
       data-max="2026-12-31">

Custom Display Format

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-format="DD/MM/YYYY">

Dark Theme

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-theme="dark">

Locale

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-locale="de-DE"
       data-format="DD.MM.YYYY">

Required with Validation

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-required
       data-min="2026-01-01"
       data-placeholder="Select a date">

Custom Validation Rules

<!-- Weekdays only -->
<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-validate="weekday">

<!-- Future dates only -->
<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-validate="future">

Async Server-Side Validation

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-validate-url="/api/check-availability">

Disabled Specific Dates

<input type="text" data-datepicker
       data-disabled-dates="2026-12-25,2026-12-26,2026-01-01">

JavaScript API

When using the IIFE bundle, the API is available on window.DatePicker. When using ES modules, import directly from the package.

DatePicker (class)

const el = document.querySelector('#my-input');
const picker = new DatePicker(el);

// Open / close the calendar
picker.open();
picker.close();

// Get and set the value
picker.getValue();          // Returns the value string (ISO/epoch/unix) or null
picker.setValue('2026-06-15'); // Set by ISO string
picker.setValue(new Date());   // Set by Date object

// Get and set the Date object
picker.getDate();           // Returns a Date or null
picker.setDate(new Date(2026, 5, 15));

// Tear down completely
picker.destroy();

initAll() / destroyAll()

import { initAll, destroyAll, getInstance } from '@elementmints/date';

// Initialize all [data-datepicker] elements
initAll();

// Get a specific instance
const picker = getInstance(document.getElementById('my-input'));

// Destroy all instances
destroyAll();

Events

The date picker dispatches custom events on the input element:

Event	Detail	Description
datepicker:change	{ value: string, date: Date }	Fired when the selected date changes.
datepicker:open	--	Fired when the calendar opens.
datepicker:close	--	Fired when the calendar closes.

document.querySelector('#my-input').addEventListener('datepicker:change', (e) => {
  console.log('Selected:', e.detail.value, e.detail.date);
});

Web Component

The <date-picker> custom element is automatically registered when using the IIFE bundle. With ES modules, call defineElement() first:

import { defineElement } from '@elementmints/date';
defineElement();

<date-picker data-format="DD/MM/YYYY" data-required></date-picker>

The element creates an <input> internally and supports the same data-* attributes. It also exposes open(), close(), getValue(), setValue(), getDate(), and setDate() methods directly on the DOM element.

Framework Adapters

React

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { createReactDatePicker } from '@elementmints/date/adapters/react';
import '@elementmints/date/css';

const DatePickerInput = createReactDatePicker(React);

function App() {
  const [value, setValue] = useState('');

  return (
    <DatePickerInput
      value={value}
      onChange={(v) => setValue(v)}
      format="DD/MM/YYYY"
      theme="system"
      placeholder="Pick a date"
    />
  );
}

Vue

<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue';
import { defineComponent, h, ref as vRef, onMounted, onBeforeUnmount, watch } from 'vue';
import { createVueDatePicker } from '@elementmints/date/adapters/vue';
import '@elementmints/date/css';

const DatePickerInput = createVueDatePicker({
  defineComponent, h, ref: vRef, onMounted, onBeforeUnmount, watch,
});

const date = ref('');
</script>

<template>
  <DatePickerInput v-model="date" format="DD/MM/YYYY" />
</template>

Angular

import { Component, Input, Output, EventEmitter } from '@angular/core';
import { createAngularDatePicker } from '@elementmints/date/adapters/angular';

const { componentClass, metadata } = createAngularDatePicker({
  Component, Input, Output, EventEmitter,
});

@Component({
  selector: 'app-datepicker',
  template: `<input #inputEl type="text" data-datepicker />`,
})
export class DatePickerComponent extends componentClass {
  // Inherits all inputs, outputs, and lifecycle hooks
}

<app-datepicker
  [value]="dateValue"
  [format]="'DD/MM/YYYY'"
  [theme]="'dark'"
  (dateChange)="onDateChange($event)">
</app-datepicker>

Theming

The date picker is styled entirely with CSS custom properties. Override them to match your design system:

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --dp-primary: #3b82f6;
  --dp-primary-hover: #2563eb;
  --dp-bg: #ffffff;
  --dp-surface: #ffffff;
  --dp-border: #e2e8f0;
  --dp-text: #1e293b;
  --dp-text-muted: #94a3b8;
  --dp-text-disabled: #cbd5e1;
  --dp-error: #ef4444;
  --dp-success: #22c55e;

  /* Layout */
  --dp-radius: 8px;
  --dp-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
  --dp-day-size: 36px;

  /* Typography */
  --dp-font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto,
    'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;
  --dp-font-size: 14px;

  /* Motion */
  --dp-transition-speed: 150ms;
}

Use the data-theme attribute (or the --dp-* variables directly) to switch between light and dark modes. The system theme automatically follows the user's OS preference via prefers-color-scheme.

Browser Support

Browser	Version
Chrome	80+
Firefox	78+
Safari	14+
Edge	80+
iOS Safari	14+
Chrome Android	80+

The library uses Intl.DateTimeFormat for locale support and customElements.define for the Web Component. Both are widely supported in the listed browsers.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, coding standards, and the pull request process.

License

MIT -- Copyright (c) 2026 ElementMint