Python DateTime module with programs
Tags: python, tutorial, webdev, showdev
Published: 2020-04-30 07:48:49

Python provides a DateTime module which we'll be using to work with date and time-related cases and also go through the simple program and learn their implementation of this module.

## Date and Time Functions

The module is packed with a lot of functions. But in this post, we'll be discussing some basic necessary functions.

## Get Current Date and Time
```python
import datetime

current_date = datetime.datetime.today()
print(current_date)

#PYTHON OUTPUT
datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 26, 12, 59, 32, 944167)   
```
Here `datetime` is module name and followed by another DateTime is a class which contains current DateTime information.

## Creating a new Date and time object
```python
from datetime import datetime
my_datetime = datetime(2020,2,26,1,15,30)
print(my_datetime)

#PYTHON OUTPUT
datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 26, 1, 15, 30)
```
We have imported `datetime` class from the module. Class `datetime` needs parameter through which object is created and  
the positional parameters are `year,month,day,hour,minute,seconds`.

## Convert String to DateTime object and vice-versa
```python
from datetime import datetime
my_datetime = datetime(2020,2,26,1,15,30)

format = "On %d %B %Y, at %I hour %M minutes and %S seconds %p i saw you in walmart with your brother"
print(my_datetime.strftime(format))

#PYTHON OUTPUT
On 26 February 2020, at 01 hour 15 minutes and 30 seconds AM i saw you in walmart with your brother
```

`format` includes those special characters `%` which will be interpreted to their respective form. Each of those will represent a particular part of date and time.

Let's look and another example were string is converted to DateTime object and again back to the same string which was used as input to class DateTime.
```python
from datetime import datetime
    
string_datetime = "2020-02-26 8:15:45 PM"
format = "%Y-%m-%d %I:%M:%S %p";
date_obj = datetime.strptime(string_datetime, format)

print("Newly created datetime object : \n")
print(date_obj)

date_object_back_to_string = date_obj.strftime(format)
print("\nConverted datetime object back to string : {}\n".format(date_object_back_to_string));


#PYTHON OUTPUT
python datetime_prog.py 
Newly created datetime object : 

2020-02-26 20:15:45

Converted datetime object back to string : 2020-02-26 08:15:45 PM
```
![Python convert string to DateTime object and vice-versa](http://thecodelearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/programs-date-to-string-vise-versa.jpg)

`strptime(date_string,format)` the method takes two arguments they are string representation of DateTime and the format of date-time which is used in this case it is string_datetime.  
strftime(format) the method takes one string argument that is in which format the DateTime must be displayed. It converts DateTime object back to a string.

## Datetime format code table

Python has a standardized format code for representing symbols with respective date and time representation. Some of them are given below.

Symbol Representation 

`%a` Represents weekday's short name as Mon, Tue.

`%A` Represents weekday's full name such as Sunday, Monday.

`%w` Represents weekday as a decimal number, where 0 is Sunday and 6 is Saturday.

`%d` represents a decimal number of a day like 01, 15 etc

`%b` Represents month and displays the short name for the month such as for January as Jan, February as Feb

`%B` Represents months full name

`%m` Represents numerical name for the month

`%Y` Represents full 4 characters year number

If you're interested to learn more about DateTime format codes then [click here to visit the official site for Python Programming.](https://docs.python.org/3/library/datetime.html#strftime-and-strptime-format-codes)

## Python Date and Time programs

## Show month name from a given date

Program with accepts a date with the day-month-year format and returns the name of a month in a given date.
```python
from datetime import datetime

print("Enter valid date with format (day-month-year) : \n")

input_date = input()

date_object = datetime.strptime(input_date,"%d-%m-%Y")
month = date_object.strftime("%B")

print("Entered date comes in month is : {}".format(month))

#PYTHON OUTPUT
Enter valid date with format (day-month-year) : 

25-03-2020
Entered date comes in month is : March
```
![Python show month name from a given date.](http://thecodelearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/get-month-name-from-given-date.jpg)

## Show number of days in the month

This program takes year and month as input from the user as numeric values convert them into a DateTime object. Another object is created by incrementing month numeric value and if the month goes above 12 than is reassigned to 1 i.e first month.
```python    
from datetime import datetime

print("Enter year in format YYYY : \n")
input_year = input()
print("Enter month in number format : \n")
input_month = input()

input_date = "{}-{}".format(input_year,input_month);
format = "%Y-%m"
start_date_obj = datetime.strptime(input_date, format)

if int(input_month) < 12:
    input_month = str(int(input_month)+1)
else: 
    input_month = "1"
    input_year = int(input_year)+1

next_input_date = "{}-{}".format(input_year, input_month)
next_date_obj = datetime.strptime(next_input_date, format)

difference_in_days = (next_date_obj-start_date_obj).days

print("\n***************Output**********************\n")
print("\nYour entered year and month is : {}".format(start_date_obj))
print("\nNext month  : {}".format(next_date_obj))
print("\nDifference in days are : {}".format(difference_in_days))

#PYTHON OUTPUT 1
$ python3.8 datetime_prog.py 
Enter year in format YYYY : 

2020
Enter month in number format : 

1

***************Output**********************


Your entered year and month is : 2020-01-01 00:00:00

Next month  : 2020-02-01 00:00:00

Difference in days are : 31

#PYTHON OUTPUT 2

$ python3.8 datetime_prog.py 
Enter year in format YYYY : 

2020
Enter month in number format : 

2

***************Output**********************


Your entered year and month is : 2020-02-01 00:00:00

Next month  : 2020-03-01 00:00:00

Difference in days are : 29
```
![Python show number of days in the month.](http://thecodelearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/number_of_days_in_month.jpg)

`difference_in_days` is calculated by subtracting two different DateTime objects.

## Show next upcoming month from a given month

Takes month as a number as input from user creates DateTime object and increments the month given by the user with plus 1 which gets us the next month.
```python
from datetime import datetime

print("Enter year in format YYYY : \n")
input_year = input()
print("Enter month in number format : \n")
input_month = input()

input_date = "{}-{}".format(input_year,input_month);
format = "%Y-%m"
start_date_obj = datetime.strptime(input_date, format)

if int(input_month) < 12:
    input_month = str(int(input_month)+1)
else: 
    input_month = "1"
    input_year = int(input_year)+1

next_input_date = "{}-{}".format(input_year, input_month)
next_date_obj = datetime.strptime(next_input_date, format)

difference_in_days = (next_date_obj-start_date_obj).days

print("\n***************Output**********************\n")
print("\nYour entered year and month is : {}".format(start_date_obj))
print("\nNext month  : {}".format(next_date_obj))
print("\nDifference in days are : {}".format(difference_in_days))

#PYTHON OUTPUT 1
$ python3.8 datetime_prog.py 
Enter year in format YYYY : 

2020
Enter month in number format : 

1

***************Output**********************


Your entered year and month is : 2020-01-01 00:00:00

Next month  : 2020-02-01 00:00:00

Difference in days are : 31

#PYTHON OUTPUT 2

$ python3.8 datetime_prog.py 
Enter year in format YYYY : 

2020
Enter month in number format : 

2

***************Output**********************


Your entered year and month is : 2020-02-01 00:00:00

Next month  : 2020-03-01 00:00:00

Difference in days are : 29
```
![Python show next upcoming month from a given month.](http://thecodelearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/upcomming_month_for_given_month.jpg)

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