How do you display current date and time in Confluence using User Macro and how do you add it like a date and time stamp.
Asked by Armon Tiongco:

I am thinking of creating a user macro. I've been searching and I've seen in the codes quite a lot

$action.dateFormatter.getCalendar()

I've tried to output that and it seems to get the current date and time. Question is how do i display it in a an acceptable format like "MMM DD YYYY HH:mm:ss"

Also, i think this works but more like a clock. - $content.currentDate

Is there a way for me to make it function like a date and time stamp?


Answers:
author: Matthew J. Horn
body: A simpler approach might just be to use the commenting system.

comments: author: Steve Goldberg
body: I like this approach. Update the page, put in a note that says "I put in this macro" in the diff message.


author: Armon Tiongco
body: Yes. The commenting may work like a time stamp however this will be displayed in Comment Threads within the page along with the other comments. What we want to do is to place the time stamp in a table which will display the review summary.


author: Steve Goldberg
body: I think what Matthew was suggesting is that you users put the message in the "What did you change?" box next to the save button. These message are stored in the page history in a neat little table.


author: Armon Tiongco
body: i see. Thanks! We'll do that for now


author: Boris
body: 1. Define user macro (ex. macro name: "current-datetime"):

```
$action.dateFormatter.formatGivenString("dd-MMM-yyyy hh:mm:ss", $content.currentDate)
```

2. Add it to some page like: {current-datetime}

comments: author: eric_kao
body: {current-datetime}


author: Boris
body: ```

```

1. Define user macro (ex. macro name: "current-datetime"):

2. Add it to some page like: {current-datetime}

$action.dateFormatter.formatGivenString("dd-MMM-yyyy hh:mm:ss", $content.currentDate)


author: Steve Goldberg
body: Would it not be simpler to just create a user macro that prints the last modfication date of the page?

comments: author: Armon Tiongco
body: That is by using the metadata correct? It is also ok to print that. But what my user wants is something that does not update everytime the page is updated.

This is so that you can just placed it after reviewed by \>Insert User\< last \>Date Stamp Macro\<

and then the next user can add another one.

reviewed by \>Insert User\< last \>Date Stamp Macro\<

such that the macros display the last time they review it or updated the document and not just the latest data.


author: Steve Goldberg
body: Sadly this solution would mean it updates every time the page is updated.


author: Armon Tiongco
body: Yes. It would be like the clock i made earlier. :(


author: Matthew J. Horn
body: You can use the dateFormatter's formatGivenString() method to specify a format:

$action.dateFormatter.formatGivenString("dd-MMM-yyyy", $some_date)

There are also other methods you can use. Here's the API docs on it:

<https://docs.atlassian.com/atlassian-confluence/latest/com/atlassian/confluence/core/DateFormatter.html>

hth,

matt

comments: author: Armon Tiongco
body: Actually, I'm already fine with $content.currentDate. It gives a complete Date and Time output. The thing is, everytime I refresh the page, so does its value.

What i need is a Date Stamp. Such that once I add it up, it becomes a static content on the page.

Is it possible with User Macros?


author: marco_molteni
body: [@Armon Tiongco1](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/660518) did you manage to find an answer to your question ? (What i need is a Date Stamp. Such that once I add it up, it becomes a static content on the page.)


author: Stiltsoft Support
body: [@marco_molteni](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/338109) Just in case you're still interested in an instrument to record the date and time on your Confluence pages, you can easily do it with our Handy Timestamp. It's one of many other macros in [Handy Macros for Confluence.](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1214971/handy-macros-for-confluence-formatting-and-interactive-ui?tab=overview&hosting=server)


Tags: date

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user-macro