[erlang-questions] timestamp conversion

[Peter W. Morreale]

This may be embarrassingly simple, but I am struggling with it... 

I need compare string timestamps for dealing with expiration.   In some
cases it may another string timestamp, in others it will be against the
current time.

The string timestamps will always have the format:

Year-Month-DayTHour:Min:SecZ"

I think I want to convert to integer seconds, however even then its not
clear to me how to perform the comparison, although I think this is a
case for using the "if" expression.  

Please be gentle, I'm still new to Erlang.

Thanks much
-PWM