solution.cpp

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
	int day = -1;
	char mon1, mon2, mon3; // The three letters for the name of the month
	int year = -1;

	cout << "Input a date formatted like DD-MMM-YYYY" << endl;

	// Process the user's input
	cin >> day;
	cin.ignore(1, '-');
	cin.get(mon1);
	cin.get(mon2);
	cin.get(mon3);
	cin.ignore(1, '-');
	cin >> year;

	if (day == -1 || year == -1) 
	{
		cerr << "bad input" << endl;
		return -1;
	}
	
	if (day < 1 || day > 31)
	{
		cerr << "Invalid day entered" << endl;
		return -1;
	}

	if (mon1 < 'A' || mon1 > 'Z')
	{
		cerr << "Invalid month entered" << endl;
		return -1;
	}

	cout << "Valid date entered" << endl;

	return 0;
}

solution.rb

puts (gets =~ /[0-3]\d-[A-Z]{3}-\d{4}/) ? "valid" : "invalid"

task.md

The Task

Implement a C++ program that reads eleven (11) characters and verifies if a sequence of characters is consistent with a date pattern DD-MON-YYYY where DD is a number of a day in a month, MON is an abbreviation of a month name and YYYY is a year number.

For example a sequence of characters 12-DEC-2011 is consistent with the pattern. A sequence 45-JUN-2000 is not consistent with the pattern because June does not have 45 days. Of course a sequence of characters AB-FEB-@@@@ is not consistent with the pattern because of the obvious reasons.

WHICH ONE IS SIMPLER? CAN YOU TELL?