date to string python code example

Example 1: python get date and time

import datetime
now = datetime.datetime.now()
print ("Current date and time : ")
print (now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))

Example 2: python datetime string

import datetime

today = datetime.datetime.now()
date_time = today.strftime("%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S")
print("date and time:",date_time)

Example 3: datetime to string python

from datetime import datetime

now = datetime.now() # current date and time

year = now.strftime("%Y")
print("year:", year)

month = now.strftime("%m")
print("month:", month)

day = now.strftime("%d")
print("day:", day)

time = now.strftime("%H:%M:%S")
print("time:", time)

date_time = now.strftime("%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S")
print("date and time:",date_time)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directive	Meaning	Example
%a	Abbreviated weekday name.	Sun, Mon, ...
%A	Full weekday name.	Sunday, Monday, ...
%w	Weekday as a decimal number.	0, 1, ..., 6
%d	Day of the month as a zero-padded decimal.	01, 02, ..., 31
%-d	Day of the month as a decimal number.	1, 2, ..., 30
%b	Abbreviated month name.	Jan, Feb, ..., Dec
%B	Full month name.	January, February, ...
%m	Month as a zero-padded decimal number.	01, 02, ..., 12
%-m	Month as a decimal number.	1, 2, ..., 12
%y	Year without century as a zero-padded decimal number.	00, 01, ..., 99
%-y	Year without century as a decimal number.	0, 1, ..., 99
%Y	Year with century as a decimal number.	2013, 2019 etc.
%H	Hour (24-hour clock) as a zero-padded decimal number.	00, 01, ..., 23
%-H	Hour (24-hour clock) as a decimal number.	0, 1, ..., 23
%I	Hour (12-hour clock) as a zero-padded decimal number.	01, 02, ..., 12
%-I	Hour (12-hour clock) as a decimal number.	1, 2, ... 12
%p	Locale’s AM or PM.	AM, PM
%M	Minute as a zero-padded decimal number.	00, 01, ..., 59
%-M	Minute as a decimal number.	0, 1, ..., 59
%S	Second as a zero-padded decimal number.	00, 01, ..., 59
%-S	Second as a decimal number.	0, 1, ..., 59
%f	Microsecond as a decimal number, zero-padded on the left.	000000 - 999999
%z	UTC offset in the form +HHMM or -HHMM.	 
%Z	Time zone name.	 
%j	Day of the year as a zero-padded decimal number.	001, 002, ..., 366
%-j	Day of the year as a decimal number.	1, 2, ..., 366
%U	Week number of the year (Sunday as the first day of the week). All days in a new year preceding the first Sunday are considered to be in week 0.	00, 01, ..., 53
%W	Week number of the year (Monday as the first day of the week). All days in a new year preceding the first Monday are considered to be in week 0.	00, 01, ..., 53
%c	Locale’s appropriate date and time representation.	Mon Sep 30 07:06:05 2013
%x	Locale’s appropriate date representation.	09/30/13
%X	Locale’s appropriate time representation.	07:06:05
%%	A literal '%' character.	%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Example 4: python time format

The program below converts a datetime object containing current date and time to different string formats.

Code:
  
from datetime import datetime

now = datetime.now() # current date and time

year = now.strftime("%Y")
print("year:", year)

month = now.strftime("%m")
print("month:", month)

day = now.strftime("%d")
print("day:", day)

time = now.strftime("%H:%M:%S")
print("time:", time)

date_time = now.strftime("%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S")
print("date and time:",date_time)	

Output after run the code:
year: 2020
month: 03
day: 31
time: 04:59:31
date and time: 03/31/2020, 04:59:31
      
Here, year, day, time and date_time are strings, whereas now is a datetime object.

Example 5: format time python

| Directive | Meaning                                                        | Example                 | 
|-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|%a         | Abbreviated weekday name.                                      | Sun, Mon, ..            | 
|%A         | Full weekday name.                                             | Sunday, Monday, ...     | 
|%w         | Weekday as a decimal number.                                   | 0, 1, ..., 6            | 
|%d         | Day of the month as a zero-padded decimal.                     | 01, 02, ..., 31         | 
|%-d        | Day of the month as a decimal number.                          | 1, 2, ..., 30           | 
|%b         | Abbreviated month name.                                        | Jan, Feb, ..., Dec      | 
|%B         | Full month name.                                               | January, February, ...  | 
|%m         | Month as a zero-padded decimal number.                         | 01, 02, ..., 12         | 
|%-m        | Month as a decimal number.                                     | 1, 2, ..., 12           | 
|%y         | Year without century as a zero-padded decimal number.          | 00, 01, ..., 99         | 
|%-y        | Year without century as a decimal number.                      | 0, 1, ..., 99           | 
|%Y         | Year with century as a decimal number.                         | 2013, 2019 etc.         | 
|%H         | Hour (24-hour clock) as a zero-padded decimal number.          | 00, 01, ..., 23         | 
|%-H        | Hour (24-hour clock) as a decimal number.                      | 0, 1, ..., 23           | 
|%I         | Hour (12-hour clock) as a zero-padded decimal number.          | 01, 02, ..., 12         | 
|%-I        | Hour (12-hour clock) as a decimal number.                      | 1, 2, ... 12            | 
|%p         | Locale’s AM or PM.                                             | AM, PM                  | 
|%M         | Minute as a zero-padded decimal number.                        | 00, 01, ..., 59         | 
|%-M        | Minute as a decimal number.                                    | 0, 1, ..., 59           | 
|%S         | Second as a zero-padded decimal number.                        | 00, 01, ..., 59         | 
|%-S        | Second as a decimal number.                                    | 0, 1, ..., 59           | 
|%f         | Microsecond as a decimal number, zero-padded on the left.      | 000000 - 999999         | 
|%z         | UTC offset in the form +HHMM or -HHMM.                         |                         | 
|%Z         | Time zone name.                                                |                         | 
|%j         | Day of the year as a zero-padded decimal number.               | 001, 002, ..., 366      | 
|%-j        | Day of the year as a decimal number. 1, 2, ..., 366            |                         | 
|%U         | Week number of the year (Sunday as the first day of the week). | 00, 01, ..., 53         | 
|%W         | Week number of the year (Monday as the first day of the week). | 00, 01, ..., 53         | 
|%c         | Locale’s appropriate date and time representation.             | Mon Sep 30 07:06:05 2013|
|%x         | Locale’s appropriate date representation.                      | 09/30/13                | 
|%X         | Locale’s appropriate time representation.                      | 07:06:05                | 
|%%         | A literal '%' character.                                       | %                       |