strptime string to datetime object conversion

Question

I have a Python2.7 script with a variable date= "21/05/2019" that works fine. I need the date variable to be datetime.now - 60 days.

However the output must be like time.struct_time(tm_year=2019, tm_mon=5, tm_mday=28, tm_hour=0, tm_min=0, tm_sec=0, tm_wday=1, tm_yday=148, tm_isdst=-1)

datetime.datetime.now() with strptime won't work.

import datetime, time
from datetime import timedelta

N = 60
#pre_create_date = datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N)
pre_create_date = "28/04/2019"

# Sort out date format
pre_create_date = time.strptime(pre_create_date, "%d/%m/%Y")

print pre_create_date

I expect to be able to use datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N) but the output to be a datetime object.

Edit:

It looks like I haven't explained myself very well. Sorry about that.

The script is:

import datetime, time
from datetime import timedelta

N = 60
#pre_create_date = datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N)
pre_create_date = "28/04/2019"

# Sort out date format
pre_create_date = time.strptime(pre_create_date, "%d/%m/%Y")

print pre_create_date

Output:

time.struct_time(tm_year=2019, tm_mon=4, tm_mday=28, tm_hour=0, tm_min=0, tm_sec=0, tm_wday=6, tm_yday=118, tm_isdst=-1)

Script using datetime.now - datetime.timedelta:

import datetime, time
from datetime import timedelta

N = 60
pre_create_date = datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N)

print pre_create_date

Output:

2019-03-31 21:09:25.183459

Expected output:

time.struct_time(tm_year=2019, tm_mon=3, tm_mday=31, tm_hour=0, tm_min=0, tm_sec=0, tm_wday=6, tm_yday=118, tm_isdst=-1)

The output of datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N) is datetime.datetime already. You don't need to use strptime on it. Am I missing something? — shriakhilc
– shriakhilc, Commented May 30, 2019 at 7:14
The output is a datetime object. You are just seeing the string representation of the object when you print it. — Henry Yik
– Henry Yik, Commented May 30, 2019 at 7:14
@HenryYik The output is not a datetime object. Rather it is a time.struct_time object. Notice, in the second last line we are calling time.strptime() rather then datetime.strptime() this results in a time object rather then a datetime object — Vasu Deo.S
– Vasu Deo.S, Commented May 30, 2019 at 7:52
I was referring to OP's last sentence regarding datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(days=N). — Henry Yik
– Henry Yik, Commented May 30, 2019 at 7:53
The question is a little bit ambiguous, in the second paragraph OP states that he want the output format to be time.struct_time() which is of time object, and in the last line, states that he wants a datetime object? Both lines are contradicting each other — Vasu Deo.S
– Vasu Deo.S, Commented May 30, 2019 at 7:57

Tom Ron · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-30 07:15:05Z

1

When using pre_create_date = time.strptime(pre_create_date, "%d/%m/%Y")

You are creating a time.struct_time object.

Use datetime.datetime.strptime("28/04/2019", "%d/%m/%Y") instead and I think you'll get what you aim for

answered May 30, 2019 at 7:15

Tom Ron

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Vasu Deo.S · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-30 07:54:06Z

Try:-

import time
import datetime


print(time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %w/%j"))

pre_create_date = (datetime.datetime.today() - datetime.timedelta(60)).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %w/%j")

print(pre_create_date)

OUTPUT:-

2019-05-30 12:59:27 4/150
2019-03-31 12:59:27 0/090

WORKING:-

The above code first prints out the current Timestamp(the format is the one you asked for). And then outputs the 60 days early Timestamp from current date (today - 60).

Just used strftime() to get our desired attributes off the current date.

EXPLANATION OF CODES USED IN strftime():-

%Y     Year with century as a decimal number.
%m     Month as a zero-padded decimal number.
%d     Day of the month as a zero-padded decimal.

%H     Hour (24-hour clock) as a zero-padded decimal number.
%M     Minute as a zero-padded decimal number.
%S     Second as a zero-padded decimal number.

%w     Week number of the year (Monday as the first day of the week). All days in a new year preceding the first Monday are considered to be in week 0.
%j     Day of the year as a zero-padded decimal number.

NOTE:- After passing the dates via strftime() the output will be of datatype string. If you want the output to be a datetime object then use:-

datetimeobj_1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(pre_create_date, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %w/%j")
print(type(datetimeobj_1))

OUTPUT:-

<class 'datetime.datetime'>

If you want the output to be a 'time.struct_time' object then use:-

datetimeobj_1 = time.strptime(pre_create_date, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %w/%j")
print(type(datetimeobj_1))

OUTPUT:-

<class 'time.struct_time'>

This fixed my problem. Thanks! time.strptime(pre_create_date, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")

Vasu Deo.S · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-30 08:11:50Z

0

you have syntax problem, change print pre_create_date to print (pre_create_date) to start with and you are assigning a string to pre_create_date try to get it in date format, and use pre_create_date = pre_create_date.strftime("%Y.%m.%d %H:%M:%S.%f") or any format as you you like,

good luck.

edited May 30, 2019 at 8:11

Vasu Deo.S

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answered May 30, 2019 at 7:26

user11576866

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