Learn how to perfectly format dates and times in your web apps See Moment.js in action with these sample codes.

Table of content

1. Introduction
2. Getting Started with Moment.js
3. Formatting Dates
4. Formatting Times
5. Combining Dates and Times
6. Timezone Handling
7. Localizing Dates and Times
8. Conclusion

Introduction

Formatting dates and times can be a challenging task, especially when working with web applications that may have users from different timezone and date preferences. However, with Moment.js, you can seamlessly format dates and times in your web applications. In this article, we will delve into Moment.js and showcase some sample codes that you can use to format dates and times in your web apps.

Moment.js is a popular JavaScript library that is used for parsing and manipulating dates and times in web applications. It enables developers to format dates and times in various formats, perform time zone conversions, manipulate dates and times in a variety of ways, and much more. Moment.js is easy to use, and it provides numerous functionality that makes working with dates and times in web applications a breeze.

In the following sections, we will explore some sample codes of Moment.js in action. We will begin by understanding how to display the current time and date in our web application. We will then move on to explore more advanced functionality, such as formatting dates and times in a variety of ways, working with time zones and performing calculations with dates and times. So, let's dive into the world of Moment.js and learn how to perfectly format dates and times in your web applications!

Getting Started with Moment.js

To get started with Moment.js, the first step is to include the library in your web project. You can do this by downloading the library from the official website, or by using a package manager like npm or Yarn.

Once you have included the library in your project, you can start using Moment.js to format dates and times in your web applications. One of the most basic features of Moment.js is the ability to parse dates and times from strings. For example, the following code snippet uses Moment.js to parse a date from a string:

const date = moment('2022-07-15'); // Parses the string '2022-07-15' into a Moment object

In this example, the moment function is used to parse the string '2022-07-15' into a Moment object, which is then assigned to the variable date.

Once you have a Moment object representing a date or time, you can format it in a variety of ways using Moment.js. For example, the following code snippet formats the date object we created earlier as a string in the format MM/DD/YYYY:

const formattedDate = date.format('MM/DD/YYYY'); // Formats the date object as a string in the format 'MM/DD/YYYY'

In this example, the format method of the Moment object is used to format the date as a string in the desired format, which is then assigned to the variable formattedDate.

With the basic concepts of parsing and formatting down, you can now start exploring more advanced features of Moment.js, such as working with time zones, manipulating dates and times, and more.

Formatting Dates

When it comes to , there are many options available in Moment.js. One common format is the ISO 8601 format, which displays dates in the format of YYYY-MM-DD. To format a date in this way, simply use the format function with the input date and the desired format:

moment("2021-07-01").format("YYYY-MM-DD");

This will output "2021-07-01".

Another common format is the long date format, which includes the day of the week, the month name, and the day of the month. To format a date in this way, use the following format string:

moment("2021-07-01").format("dddd, MMMM Do YYYY");

This will output "Thursday, July 1st 2021".

There are many other date formatting options available in Moment.js, including the ability to add or subtract times, display times in different time zones, and more. By mastering the different formatting options available, you can create web apps that display dates and times in a clear and easy-to-understand way for your users.

Formatting Times

can be a tricky task, but it is essential to ensure that your users can quickly and easily read the times displayed in your web app. Moment.js provides an easy way to format times, with a range of options to suit your needs.

To format a time in Moment.js, you first need to create a moment object. This can be done using the moment() function. You can then use the format() method to specify the format you want to use.

For example, to format a time as hh:mm:ss, you can use the following code:

var now = moment();
var timeFormatted = now.format("hh:mm:ss");
console.log(timeFormatted);

This will output the current time in the specified format. You can also include other elements in the format string, such as A for AM/PM, Z for the time zone offset, and ddd for the day of the week.

var now = moment();
var timeFormatted = now.format("hh:mm:ss A Z ddd");
console.log(timeFormatted);

This will output the current time in the format (hh:mm:ss AM/PM Time Zone Offset Day of the Week), such as 02:30:45 PM +02:00 Fri.

Moment.js also provides a range of pre-defined format strings that you can use. These include LL for long date format, LTS for long time format, and LT for long date and time format.

var now = moment();
var timeFormatted = now.format("LT");
console.log(timeFormatted);

This will output the current time in the format hh:mm A, such as 02:30 PM.

In conclusion, can be made easy with Moment.js, and it will enhance your web apps by providing users with easy-to-read times in a format that suits their needs. By using moment objects and the format method, you can customize the output of your dates and times in a way that adds value to your web apps.

Combining Dates and Times

To combine dates and times in Moment.js, you can create a new moment object that combines the two. Moment.js provides the moment.combine() method, which takes a date moment and a time moment and returns a new moment object that combines the date and time.

Here's an example of how to use moment.combine():

var date = moment("2021-01-01");
var time = moment("13:00", "HH:mm");
var combined = moment.combine(date, time);

console.log(combined.format("YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm"));
// Output: 2021-01-01 13:00

In this example, we first create a moment object for the date "2021-01-01" and a moment object for the time "13:00". We then use moment.combine() to create a new moment object that combines the date and time. Finally, we use the format() method to format the combined moment object as a string in the format "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm".

It's important to note that moment.combine() creates a new moment object, rather than modifying the original date and time moment objects. If you need to modify the original moment objects, you should use the moment.set() method to set the appropriate date or time value.

Overall, in Moment.js is straightforward using the moment.combine() method. With a little practice, you'll be able to create formatted date and time strings in your web apps with ease.

Timezone Handling

Handling timezones can be a tricky task even for seasoned developers. In web applications, handling timezones correctly is crucial to ensure that your application's users receive accurate and consistent time data relevant to their location. Moment.js simplifies this by offering built-in timezone support.

Moment.js provides two functions for handling timezone information, moment.tz() and moment.utc(). The former is for converting a date and time from one timezone to another and the latter is for handling universal coordinated time (UTC), which is essentially timezoneless time data.

To use moment.tz(), you need to provide Moment.js with both the date and time strings, as well as the timezones of both the input and output dates. The simplest way to do this is by specifying the timezone using the timezone name, as follows:

moment.tz("2019-07-10 12:00:00", "America/Toronto").tz("Europe/Paris").format();

This code converts the date "2019-07-10 12:00:00" in the Toronto timezone to the Paris timezone.

When dealing with timezones, it is important to consider daylight saving time (DST) changes. Moment.js can handle DST changes for you automatically by providing the correct timezone offset for the input date.

Overall, Moment.js removes much of the complexity from time and in web applications, allowing developers to focus on building great features and functionality for their users without worrying about the details of date and time formatting.

Localizing Dates and Times

In Moment.js, is made easy with the use of the moment.locale() function. This function allows you to set the language and region for parsing and formatting dates and times according to different locales.

To use moment.locale(), simply pass in the locale code as a string. For example, to set the locale to French, use moment.locale('fr'). This will change the output of moment.format() to use French month and day names.

If you need to customize the formatting for a specific locale, you can create a new moment locale object with moment.localeData(). This allows you to override the default formatting options for a given locale.

To get a list of all available locales in Moment.js, use moment.locales(). This will return an array of locale codes that you can use with moment.locale().

Overall, Moment.js makes it simple to localize dates and times in your web applications. With the ability to set language and region codes, customize formatting options, and access a wide range of locales, you can ensure that your application displays dates and times accurately and clearly for users around the world.

Conclusion

In , Moment.js is a powerful library that can help you to perfectly format dates and times in your web apps. With its easy-to-use syntax and rich functionality, Moment.js makes it simple for developers to handle date and time related tasks with ease.

In this article, we have seen how to use Moment.js with some sample codes. We have covered different aspects of working with dates and times, such as parsing dates, formatting dates, and manipulating them with different methods.

One of the great things about Moment.js is its extensive documentation that explains every aspect of working with dates and times. So, if you run into issues, you can always refer to the documentation for help.

Overall, Moment.js is a must-have library for developers who work with dates and times in their web apps. We hope that this article has given you a good introduction to the library and how to use it. Happy coding!