Python strftime()

The strftime() method returns a string representing date and time using date, time or datetime object.

Example 1: datetime to string using strftime()

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

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)	

When you run the program, the output will something like be:

year: 2018
month: 12
day: 24
time: 04:59:31
date and time: 12/24/2018, 04:59:31

Here, year, day, time and date_time are strings, whereas now is a datetime object.

How strftime() works?

In the above program, %Y, %m, %d etc. are format codes. The strftime() method takes one or more format codes as an argument and returns a formatted string based on it.

1. We imported datetime class from the datetime module. It's because the object of datetime class can access strftime() method.
   [Import datetime object]
2. The datetime object containing current date and time is stored in now variable.
   [Python Format Code]
3. The strftime() method can be used to create formatted strings.
   [Python Format Code]
4. The string you pass to the strftime() method may contain more than one format codes.
   [Python Format Codes]

Example 2: Creating string from a timestamp

from datetime import datetime

timestamp = 1528797322
date_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp)

print("Date time object:", date_time)

d = date_time.strftime("%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S")
print("Output 2:", d)	

d = date_time.strftime("%d %b, %Y")
print("Output 3:", d)

d = date_time.strftime("%d %B, %Y")
print("Output 4:", d)

d = date_time.strftime("%I%p")
print("Output 5:", d)

When you run the program, the output will be:

Date time object: 2018-06-12 09:55:22
Output 2: 06/12/2018, 09:55:22
Output 3: 12 Jun, 2018
Output 4: 12 June, 2018
Output 5: 09AM

Format Code List

The table below shows all the codes that you can pass to the strftime() method.

Example 3: Locale's appropriate date and time

from datetime import datetime

timestamp = 1528797322
date_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp)

d = date_time.strftime("%c")
print("Output 1:", d)	

d = date_time.strftime("%x")
print("Output 2:", d)

d = date_time.strftime("%X")
print("Output 3:", d)

When you run the program, the output will be:

Output 1: Tue Jun 12 09:55:22 2018
Output 2: 06/12/18
Output 3: 09:55:22

Format codes %c, %x and %X are used for locale's appropriate date and time representation.

We also recommendyou to check Python strptime(). The strptime() method creates a datetime object from a string.