Python - datetime Module

In this tutorial we will learn about datatime module in Python.

We learned about modules in the Python - Modules tutorial. Feel free to check that out.

Importing the datetime module

To work with data and time in Python we can take help of the datetime module.

To import the module we write the following.

import datetime

Display the current date and time

We can write the following Python code to display the current date and time using the datetime module.

# import module
import datetime

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

# output
print(currDT)

The above Python code will give us the following output.

2018-10-21 04:43:58.846551

The date time is in the following format.

Year-Month-Day Hour:Minute:Second.Microsecond

Create date object using datetime() method

In the following Python program we are creating date object for the date 1st Jan 2000 using the datetime module.

# import module
import datetime

# create date
date = datetime.datetime(2000, 1, 1)

# output
print(date)

The above code will print the following output.

2000-01-01 00:00:00

In the following Python program we are creating a date object for the date time 1st Jan 2000 10:20:30.

# import module
import datetime

# create date time
date = datetime.datetime(2000, 1, 1, 10, 20, 30)

# output
print(date)

The above code will give the following output.

2000-01-01 10:20:30

The strftime method

We use the strftime() method to convert the date object into human readable string.

The strftime method takes one argument, the format.

In the following Python program we are printing the current date in human readable format using the strftime method.

# import module
import datetime

# current time
currDT = datetime.datetime.now()

# output
print("Day", currDT.strftime('%a'))
print("Date", currDT.strftime('%d'))
print("Month", currDT.strftime('%b'))
print("Year", currDT.strftime('%Y'))
print("Hour", currDT.strftime('%H'))
print("Min", currDT.strftime('%M'))
print("Sec", currDT.strftime('%S'))

The above code will give us a similar output.

Day Sun
Date 21
Month Oct
Year 2018
Hour 07
Min 34
Sec 58

Format for the strftime method