serialize dates/times properly when in a string

lib/xapit.rb

@@ -58,11 +58,15 @@ def search(*args)
     def serialize_value(value)
       if value.kind_of?(Time)
         Xapian.sortable_serialise(value.to_i)
-      elsif value.kind_of?(Numeric) || value.to_s =~ /^[0-9]+$/
+      elsif value.to_s =~ /^"?\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}/
+        Xapian.sortable_serialise(Time.parse(value.to_s).to_i)
+      elsif value.kind_of?(Numeric) || value.to_s =~ /^\d+$/
         Xapian.sortable_serialise(value.to_f)
       else
         value.to_s.downcase
       end
+    rescue ArgumentError # in case Time.parse errors out
+      value.to_s.downcase
     end
 
     def enable

spec/xapit/server/query_spec.rb

@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@
     query.applied_facet_options.should eq([{:id => Xapit.facet_identifier(:priority, "3"), :name => "priority", :value => "3"}])
   end
 
+  it "fetches results based on time in string" do
+    Xapit.database.add_document(:attributes => {:priority => {:value => 3.days.ago, :field => {}}}, :id => 123, :class => "Greeting")
+    query = Xapit::Server::Query.new([{:where => {:priority => {from: 5.days.ago.to_json, to: 1.day.ago.to_json}}}])
+    query.records.first[:id].should eq("123")
+  end
+
   describe "with priorities" do
     before(:each) do
       (1..5).each do |number|

spec/xapit/xapit_spec.rb

@@ -31,4 +31,13 @@
     Xapit.config[:query_class] = "String"
     Xapit.query_class.should eq(String)
   end
+
+  it "serialize_value converts time and numbers properly" do
+    time = 2.days.ago
+    Xapit.serialize_value(time).should eq(Xapian.sortable_serialise(time.to_i))
+    Xapit.serialize_value(time.to_json).should eq(Xapian.sortable_serialise(time.to_i))
+    Xapit.serialize_value(123).should eq(Xapian.sortable_serialise(123))
+    Xapit.serialize_value("123").should eq(Xapian.sortable_serialise(123))
+    Xapit.serialize_value("1234-56-78foo").should eq("1234-56-78foo")
+  end
 end