Get datetime format from string python

Question

In Python there are multiple DateTime parsers which can parse a date string automatically without providing the datetime format. My problem is that I don't need to cast the datetime, I only need the datetime format.

Example: From "2021-01-01", I want something like "%Y-%m-%d" or "yyyy-MM-dd".

My only idea was to try casting with different formats and get the successful one, but I don't want to list every possible format.

I'm working with pandas, so I can use methods that work either with series or the string DateTime parser.

Any ideas?

How do expect to match e.g. 01 to either month or day?

Tobi208
– Tobi208

2022-01-27 13:13:15 +00:00
Commented Jan 27, 2022 at 13:13 — Tobi208
– Tobi208, Commented Jan 27, 2022 at 13:13

mozway · Accepted Answer · 2024-09-27 14:57:08Z

6

In pandas, this is achieved by pandas.tseries.api.guess_datetime_format

from pandas.tseries.api import guess_datetime_format

guess_datetime_format('2021-01-01')

# '%Y-%m-%d'

As there will always be an ambiguity on the day/month, you can specify the dayfirst case:

guess_datetime_format('2021-01-01', dayfirst=True)
# '%Y-%d-%m'

edited Sep 27, 2024 at 14:57

answered Jan 27, 2022 at 13:17

mozway

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Comments

Talha Tayyab · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-27 13:21:52Z

1

Please see which one suits best for you:

df['Column'] = df['Column'].dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")

df['Column'] = pd.to_datetime(df['Column']).dt.date

df['Column'] = pd.to_datetime(df['Column']).dt.normalize()

the datatype of first two options will be object;

while the 3rd one with normalize will be datetime.

answered Jan 27, 2022 at 13:21

Talha Tayyab

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1 Comment

user17693816 Over a year ago

This isn't addressing what was asked, though. They're wanting to get "%Y-%m-%d", for example.

Sunderam Dubey · Accepted Answer · 2022-05-30 16:09:33Z

0

You can try this way, I am not sure though.

for col in  df.select_dtypes(include['datetime64']).columns.tolist():
    df[col] = df[col].astype(str)

edited May 30, 2022 at 16:09

Sunderam Dubey

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answered Jan 27, 2022 at 13:51

Kafi

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