/* parse inputs for dt2_XXXX functions */
dt2_parse_args(date, time, startdate)
{
        if (isarray(date))
        {
                if (isdatestr(time))
                {
                        /* assume startdate */
                        startdate = time;
                }

                if (numcols(date) > 1 && not(isarray(time)))
                {
                        time = date[.., 2..2..end];
                        date = date[.., 1..2..end];
                }
        }

        if (isdatestr(date))
        {
                date = julstr(date);
        }
        else if (not(isarray(date)))
        {
                error(sprintf("%s - invalid date", __CALLER__));
        }

        if (istimestr(time))
        {
                time = todmsecstr(time);
        }
        else if (not(isarray(time)))
        {
                error(sprintf("%s - invalid time", __CALLER__));
        }

        if (isarray(date) && not(isarray(time)))
        {
                time = rep(time, length(date));
        }
        else if (isarray(time) && not(isarray(date)))
        {
                date = rep(date, length(time));
        }

        return(date, time, startdate);
}