๐ Python datetime Module โ Working with Dates and Times
Python's datetime module handles dates, times, timezones, and arithmetic. Essential for logs, scheduling, and data pipelines.
๐ก Quick Tip:
Always store dates in UTC in your database. Convert to local timezone only when displaying to users.
๐ป Code Example:
from datetime import datetime, timedelta, date, timezone # 1. Current date and time now = datetime.now() print(now) # 2026-04-21 17:31:05.123456 utc_now = datetime.now(timezone.utc) print(utc_now) # Timezone-aware UTC time # 2. String formatting formatted = now.strftime("%d %B %Y, %I:%M %p") print(formatted) # 21 April 2026, 05:31 PM # 3. Parse a string to datetime pynfinity_launch = datetime.strptime("2024-01-15", "%Y-%m-%d") print(pynfinity_launch.year) # 2024 # 4. Arithmetic โ timedelta one_week_later = now + timedelta(days=7) days_since_launch = (now - pynfinity_launch).days print(f"Pynfinity has been running for {days_since_launch} days!") # 5. Date comparison expiry = date(2026, 12, 31) today = date.today() premium_active = today < expiry print(f"Premium active: {premium_active}") # 6. Timestamp โ datetime conversion import time ts = time.time() dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(ts) print(dt)
| Concept | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| %Y-%m-%d | ISO format: 2026-04-21 |
| %d/%m/%Y | Indian format: 21/04/2026 |
| %I:%M %p | 12-hour time: 05:31 PM |
| timedelta(hours=N) | Add/subtract hours from a datetime |
| .timestamp() | Convert datetime to Unix timestamp float |
Keep exploring and happy coding! ๐
