change date format python with code examples

Python provides several ways to change the date format of a given date. One of the easiest ways is to use the strftime() method, which allows you to specify the desired format using codes. Here are some examples of how to use this method to change the date format.

from datetime import datetime

# Current date
now = datetime.now()

# MM/DD/YYYY format
print(now.strftime("%m/%d/%Y"))

# DD-MM-YYYY format
print(now.strftime("%d-%m-%Y"))

# YYYY-MM-DD format
print(now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d"))

# Day of the week, Month Date, Year format
print(now.strftime("%A, %B %d, %Y"))

The strftime() method takes a string argument, which specifies the format of the date. The codes used in the string argument are:

• %Y for the year (e.g. 2021)
• %m for the month (e.g. 01)
• %d for the day (e.g. 25)
• %A for the full weekday name (e.g. Monday)
• %B for the full month name (e.g. January)

You can also use other codes that are not mentioned here, such as %I for the hour (12-hour format) and %M for the minute.

Another way to change the date format in Python is by using the date.isoformat() method. This method returns the date in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Here's an example:

from datetime import date

# Current date
now = date.today()

# YYYY-MM-DD format
print(now.isoformat())

You can also use the date.strftime() method and the datetime.strftime() method for the same purpose.

Finally, you can also use the datetime.strptime() method to change the date format. This method takes two arguments: the date string and the format string. The format string uses codes similar to the ones used in the strftime() method. Here's an example:

from datetime import datetime

# Date string in MM/DD/YYYY format
date_string = "01/25/2021"

# Convert to datetime object
date_object = datetime.strptime(date_string, "%m/%d/%Y")

# YYYY-MM-DD format
print(date_object.strftime("%Y-%m-%d"))

In this example, the date string is "01/25/2021" in the format "MM/DD/YYYY". The strptime() method converts this string to a datetime object, and the strftime() method is then used to change the format to "YYYY-MM-DD".

In conclusion, Python provides several ways to change the date format, whether it is by using the strftime() method, date.isoformat() method, date.strftime() method, datetime.strftime() method or datetime. Another useful method for working with dates in Python is the date.fromisoformat()` method. This method allows you to convert a date string in the ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) to a date object. Here's an example:

from datetime import date

# Date string in ISO format
date_string = "2021-01-25"

# Convert to date object
date_object = date.fromisoformat(date_string)

# Print date object
print(date_object)

It's also possible to convert string to datetime object using datetime.strptime() method, which is similar to the date.fromisoformat() method, but it converts the string to a datetime object instead of a date object. Here's an example:

from datetime import datetime

# Date string in ISO format
date_string = "2021-01-25 14:30:00"

# Convert to datetime object
date_object = datetime.strptime(date_string, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")

# Print date object
print(date_object)

Another useful method for working with date and time is the datetime.combine() method. This method allows you to combine a date object and a time object to create a new datetime object. Here's an example:

from datetime import date, time, datetime

# Date object
date_object = date.today()

# Time object
time_object = time(14, 30)

# Combine date and time objects
datetime_object = datetime.combine(date_object, time_object)

# Print datetime object
print(datetime_object)

It's also worth mentioning the datetime.now() which returns the current date and time, and datetime.utcnow() which returns the current date and time in UTC.

In addition to the built-in methods for working with dates and times, Python also has a number of third-party libraries that provide additional functionality. For example, the pytz library provides timezone support for the datetime module, and the dateutil library provides additional methods for parsing and manipulating dates.

Overall, Python provides a variety of built-in and third-party tools for working with dates and times. By using these tools, you can easily format, convert, and manipulate dates and times in your Python programs.

Popular questions

1. What is the strftime() method in Python and how is it used to change the date format?

• The strftime() method is a method of the datetime class in Python that allows you to specify the desired date format using codes. For example, %Y for the year, %m for the month, and %d for the day. This method takes a string argument that specifies the format of the date.

2. How can you convert a date string in the ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) to a date object in Python?

• You can use the date.fromisoformat() method in Python to convert a date string in the ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) to a date object. For example: date_object = date.fromisoformat(date_string).

3. How can you combine a date object and a time object to create a new datetime object in Python?

• You can use the datetime.combine() method in Python to combine a date object and a time object to create a new datetime object. For example: datetime_object = datetime.combine(date_object, time_object).

4. What is the difference between the datetime.now() and datetime.utcnow() methods in Python?

• The datetime.now() method returns the current date and time, while the datetime.utcnow() method returns the current date and time in UTC.

5. Can you name any third-party library for working with dates and times in Python?

• Yes, some of the third-party libraries for working with dates and times in Python include pytz, which provides timezone support for the datetime module and dateutil which provides additional methods for parsing and manipulating dates.

Tag

Datetime