how to format a date in dart with code examples

Formatting dates in Dart can be a bit tricky if you are not well-versed in coding. But don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it seems.

In this article, we’ll examine the various ways to format dates in Dart, along with some practical examples to help you understand better. So, let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Dates

In Dart, we work with the DateTime class, which gives us access to specific date and time methods. You can think of this class as a wrapped time and date object.

Below is a code snippet that shows the basic format of a DateTime object in Dart:

DateTime now = DateTime.now();
print(now);

The above code will return the current date and time when executed.

Formatting Date Strings

Sometimes, you need to format a date string in a particular way before displaying it in your application. If that’s the case, the DateFormat class in Dart offers an easy way to format date strings.

Below is a code snippet that demonstrates how to use the DateFormat class:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  String formattedDate = DateFormat('dd/MM/yyyy').format(now);
  print(formattedDate);
}

The above code will format the date to the format dd/MM/yyyy.

Formatting Time Strings

Dart’s DateFormat class is versatile, and it can format time strings as well.

Below is a code snippet that demonstrates how to use the DateFormat class for time formatting:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  String formattedTime = DateFormat('HH:mm:ss').format(now);
  print(formattedTime);
}

The above code will format the time to the format HH:mm:ss.

Formatting both Date and Time Strings

What if you need to format both the date and time strings? You can use the DateFormat class to achieve this as well.

The following code snippet will format both the date and time strings:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  String formattedDateTime = DateFormat('dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss').format(now);
  print(formattedDateTime);
}

The above code will format the date and time to the format dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss.

Other DateTime Formats

Dart’s DateFormat class is flexible, and it provides several pre-defined formats you can use. Some of the popular formats include:

• yyyy-MM-dd
• MMMM dd, yyyy
• E, MMM dd yyyy

The code below shows how to use the pre-defined formats:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  String formattedDate = DateFormat.yyyyMMdd().format(now);
  String formattedTime = DateFormat.jms().format(now);
  String formattedDateTime = DateFormat.MMMMd().add_y().add_Hms().format(now);

  print(formattedDate);
  print(formattedTime);
  print(formattedDateTime);
}

Conclusion

In conclusion, formatting dates in Dart is straightforward and easy. Once you understand how to use the DateFormat class, you can format date and time strings in any way you like.

In this article, we’ve covered the basics of formatting dates, times, and combinations of both in Dart. Armed with this knowledge, you can now proceed to style your code just the way you want.

Remember to always refer to the Dart documentation for more examples and other details!

here are some additional information and examples on formatting dates in Dart:

Custom Date and Time Formats

Sometimes, you may need to create a custom format that’s not available in the pre-defined formats of the DateFormat class. For example, you may want to display the day of the week as a three-letter abbreviation, or you may want to include milliseconds in the time format.

To create a custom format, you can use the following format characters:

• y: year
• M: month of year
• d: day of month
• H: hour of day (24-hour format)
• h: hour of day (12-hour format)
• m: minute of hour
• s: second of minute
• S: millisecond of second
• a: AM/PM marker

Below is a code snippet that shows how to use custom formats:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  
  String customFormat = DateFormat('EEE, MMM d, ''yy').format(now);
  print("Custom format: $customFormat"); // Example output: Wed, Feb 2, '22
  
  String customTimeFormat = DateFormat('hh:mm:ss.SSS a').format(now);
  print("Custom time format: $customTimeFormat"); // Example output: 06:25:37.873 PM
}

Converting Strings to DateTime Objects

Sometimes, you may have a date string that needs to be converted to a DateTime object. In Dart, you can use the DateTime.parse() method to achieve this.

The parse() method takes a string and returns a DateTime object. The format of the string must be in one of the supported formats by the DateTime class.

Here’s an example of how to use the parse() method:

void main() {
  String dateStr = '2022-02-02 18:30:00';
  DateTime date = DateTime.parse(dateStr);

  print(date); // Example output: 2022-02-02 18:30:00.000
}

Datetime Arithmetic

In Dart, you can perform arithmetic operations on DateTime objects. For example, you can add or subtract days, months, or even years from a DateTime object.

Here’s how to add days to a DateTime object:

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  Duration addedDuration = Duration(days: 7);
  DateTime newDate = now.add(addedDuration);

  print(newDate); // Example output: 2022-02-09 07:51:21.843860
}

Here’s how to subtract months from a DateTime object:

void main() {
  DateTime now = DateTime.now();
  DateTime newDate = DateTime(now.year, now.month - 1, now.day);

  print(newDate); // Example output: 2022-01-02 07:51:21.843860
}

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of how to format dates in Dart. With the DateTime class and the DateFormat class, you have all the tools you need to display dates and times in various formats.

And don't forget, the dart documentation provides detailed explanations and numerous examples that can help you further understand how to format dates and times in Dart.

Popular questions

1. What class in Dart gives access to specific date and time methods?

• The DateTime class gives access to specific date and time methods in Dart.

2. Which class can you use to format date strings in Dart?

• The DateFormat class is used to format date strings in Dart.

3. How can you create a custom date and time format in Dart?

• You can create a custom date and time format in Dart by using the format characters such as y (year), M (month of year), d (day of month), H (hour of day in 24-hour format), h (hour of day in 12-hour format), m (minute of hour), s (second of minute), S (millisecond of second), and a (AM/PM marker) in the format string.

4. What is the method to convert a date string to a DateTime object in Dart?

• The DateTime.parse() method can be used to convert a date string to a DateTime object in Dart.

5. Can you perform arithmetic operations on DateTime objects in Dart? Give an example.

• Yes, you can perform arithmetic operations on DateTime objects in Dart. For example, you can add or subtract days, months, or even years from a DateTime object as shown in this code snippet:

DateTime now = DateTime.now();
Duration addedDuration = Duration(days: 7);
DateTime newDate = now.add(addedDuration);

Tag

"DartDateFormatting"