Python Datetime with Examples

In this article We are going to cover Python Datetime with Examples. In python, there is module datetime to work dates and times.

Example of current datetime in Python:

import datetime
a = datetime.datetime.now()
print(a)

Output:

2020-12-27 17:18:20.230935

Note: The date contains year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and microsecond.

Example of current date in Python:

In this program we use today() method to get today’s date.

import datetime
a = datetime.date.today()
print(a)

Output:

2020-12-27

Example of python datetime:

In this Example return the year and name of weekday.

import datetime
a = datetime.datetime.now()
print(a.year)
print(a.strftime("%A"))

Output:

2020
Sunday

Create Date Object:

The datetime() class requires three parameters to create date: year, month, day.

Example of create date object in python:

import datetime
a = datetime.datetime(2020, 6, 21)
print(a)

Output:

2020-06-21 00:00:00

Example of today’s date, month and year in Python:

from datetime import date

today = date.today() 

print("Current year:", today.year)
print("Current month:", today.month)
print("Current day:", today.day)

Output:

Current year: 2020
Current month: 12
Current day: 27

strptime() in Python:

The strptime() method create datetime.

Example of strptime() method in Python:

import datetime
x = datetime.datetime(2020, 6, 21)
print(x.strftime("%d %B, %y"))

Output:

21 June, 20

Example of Current time in Python

import time
x = time.localtime()
time = time.strftime("%H:%M:%S", x)
print(time)

Output:

19:12:33

Digital clock in Python:

In this program we use while loop

Example of digital clock in python:

import time
while True:
  l_time = time.localtime()
  x = time.strftime("%I:%M:%S %p", l_time)
  print(x)
  time.sleep(1)

Output:

07:21:16 PM
07:21:17 PM
07:21:18 PM
07:21:19 PM
07:21:20 PM
.
.
.

Another Example of digital clock in Python:

import time
while True:
  localtime = time.localtime()
  result = time.strftime("%I:%M:%S %p", localtime)
  print(result, end="", flush=True)
  print("\r", end="", flush=True)
  time.sleep(1)

Output:

07:28:17 PM07:28:18 PM07:28:19 PM07:28:20 PM07:28:21 PM07:28:22 PM07:28:23 PM07:28:24 PM07:28:25 PM07:28:26 PM07:28:27 PM07:28:28 PM07:28:29 PM07:28:30 PM
07:28:31 PM07:28:32 PM07:28:33 PM07:28:34 PM07:28:35 PM07:28:36 PM

Directive	Description	Example
%a	Weekday, short version	Mon
%A	Weekday, full version	Monday
%d	Day of month 06-21	21
%w	Weekday as a number 0-6, 0 is Sunday	3
%b	Month name, short version	Jun
%B	Month name, full version	June
%m	Month as a number 21-06	21
%y	Year, short version, without century	20
%Y	Year, full version	2020
%H	Hour 00-23	19
%I	Hour 00-12	07
%p	AM/PM	PM
%M	Minute 00-59	48
%S	Second 00-59	36
%f	Microsecond 000000-999999	392293
%j	Day number of year 001-366	365
%U	Week number of year, Sunday as the first day of week, 00-53	52
%W	Week number of year, Monday as the first day of week, 00-53	52
%c	Local version of date and time	Sun Dec 27 19:54:47 2020
%x	Local version of date	12/27/20
%X	Local version of time	19:56:19