Python .strftime()
Published Jan 9, 2025
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The datetime.strftime() method formats time and datetime objects into readable strings on specified format codes.
Syntax
datetime.strftime(format)
Here are some commonly used format codes:
| Directive | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
%a |
Abbreviated name of days | Sun, Mon, …, Sat |
%d |
Day of the month | 01, 02, …, 31 |
%b |
Abbreviated name of months | Jan, Feb, …, Dec |
%Y |
Year | 0001, 0002, …, 2013, 2014, …, 9998, 9999 |
%m |
Month | 01, 02, …, 12 |
%I |
Hour (12-hour clock) | 01, 02, …, 12 |
%M |
Minute | 00, 01, …, 59 |
%p |
Locale’s equivalent of either AM or PM | AM, PM |
For a complete list, refer to the Python documentation.
Example
The formatted time can be retrieved and stored in a variable as shown in this example:
import datetime#Assign current timenow = datetime.datetime.now()#Format the current date and timeformatted_date = now.strftime('%a %d %b %Y, %I:%M%p')print(formatted_date)
This example results in the following output which displays the current date and time in specific format:
Mon 06 Jan 2025, 09:01PM
Note: The actual output will vary depending on the current date and time when the script is executed.
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