tarting date</span>
    <span class="c1"># otherwise program is not allowed to run</span>
    <span class="k">if</span> <span class="ow">not</span> <span class="n">start</span><span class="p">:</span>
        <span class="k">raise</span> <span class="ne">ValueError</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;start_date was neither specified in command line nor &#39;</span>
                         <span class="s1">&#39;in CONTROL file.</span><span class="se">\n</span><span class="s1">&#39;</span>
  