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Python Date Time Guide

The document provides an overview of Python's time and datetime modules, detailing their functions and classes for handling time-related tasks. It highlights key functions like time.time() and datetime.now(), as well as formatting options using strftime. Additionally, it compares time.strftime() and datetime.strftime() in terms of usage and requirements.

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4 views3 pages

Python Date Time Guide

The document provides an overview of Python's time and datetime modules, detailing their functions and classes for handling time-related tasks. It highlights key functions like time.time() and datetime.now(), as well as formatting options using strftime. Additionally, it compares time.strftime() and datetime.strftime() in terms of usage and requirements.

Uploaded by

Kavita Rani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Python Date and Time Modules Guide

1. time Module Overview

The time module provides functions to work with time-related tasks. It includes low-level system functions like

delays, timestamps, and formatting. The most used functions are:

- time.time(): Returns the current time in seconds since the epoch (1970).

- time.sleep(seconds): Delays execution.

- time.localtime(): Converts seconds to struct_time object.

- time.strftime(format, struct_time): Formats a struct_time object to string.

Note: If you omit the second argument in time.strftime(), it defaults to time.localtime().

2. datetime Module Overview

The datetime module provides classes for manipulating dates and times in a more object-oriented way. Key

classes include:

- datetime: Includes both date and time.

- date: Only the date part.

- time: Only the time part.

- timedelta: Represents a duration.

Usage:

from datetime import datetime

now = datetime.now()

formatted = now.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')

3. strftime/strptime Format Codes Table

%Y: Full year (2025)

%y: Year (25)

%m: Month (07)


Python Date and Time Modules Guide

%B: Full month name (July)

%b: Abbreviated month name (Jul)

%d: Day (12)

%A: Full weekday name (Saturday)

%a: Abbreviated weekday name (Sat)

%H: Hour (24-hour, 14)

%I: Hour (12-hour, 02)

%p: AM/PM (PM)

%M: Minute (30)

%S: Second (08)

%f: Microseconds (548513)

%z: UTC offset (+0530)

%Z: Timezone (IST)

%j: Day of year (193)

%U: Week number (Sun-start, 27)

%W: Week number (Mon-start, 27)

%c: Locale date+time

%x: Locale date

%X: Locale time

%%: Literal percent

4. time.strftime() vs datetime.strftime()

time.strftime() is a standalone function and can optionally take a struct_time object. If no object is provided, it

defaults to time.localtime().

datetime.strftime() is an instance method and must be called on a datetime object. It cannot take an external

object.

Example (time module):

import time
Python Date and Time Modules Guide

print(time.strftime('%c')) # Works

print(time.strftime('%c', time.localtime())) # Also works

Example (datetime module):

from datetime import datetime

now = datetime.now()

print(now.strftime('%c')) # Correct

# datetime.strftime('%c') # Error: must call on an object

5. Summary Table

| Feature | time.strftime() | datetime.strftime() |

|---------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------|

| Type | Standalone function | Instance method |

| Called On | Module | datetime object |

| Accepts external object? | Yes (struct_time) | No |

| Object required? | No (defaults to localtime) | Yes |

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