Скачать или смотреть Converting String to DateTime in Python: A Guide to strptime and strftime

Learn how to convert string to DateTime in Python using `strptime` and `strftime`, ensuring the correct formats are applied.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/73505333/ asked by the user 'Gabriel Poletti' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13160360/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/73505398/ provided by the user 'Skar' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12728268/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Understanding the Problem: Converting String to DateTime in Python

In programming, handling date and time formats can often introduce confusion, particularly when it comes to converting strings into the DateTime object. This issue is commonly faced by Python developers, especially those dealing with string formats like dd/mm/YYYY. If you've ever tried to convert a string to a DateTime format using Python’s strptime function and found that the outputs don't match what you expected, you're not alone. We’ll discuss how to tackle this problem effectively.

The Core of the Issue

Let’s break down the given scenario where there are attempts to convert a date string that represents a date in the dd/mm/YYYY format into a DateTime object. The confusion arises in the final output, which doesn't retain the originally intended format after invoking the conversion functions. Here's the code that exemplifies the problem:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

As you can see, though the strftime function displays the date in the desired format, upon running the strptime function, the result reverts back to the conventional YYYY-mm-dd layout.

Resolving the Problem: Using strftime and strptime Correctly

To address this issue, it's essential to understand the differences between strftime and strptime:

strftime: Converts a DateTime object to a string, allowing you to define the format of the output.

strptime: Parses a string representing a time and returns a DateTime object based on the specified format.

Implementing the Fix

As mentioned, the strptime function creates a DateTime object, which indeed will follow its internal representation (i.e., YYYY-mm-dd). If you want to display the formatted string again after converting it back to a DateTime object, you can simply use the strftime method again like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Summary of Steps:

Start with your date string in the format dd/mm/YYYY.

Use strptime to convert your string into a DateTime object but note that the output's internal format will default to YYYY-mm-dd.

Use strftime to convert this DateTime back into your desired string format whenever you need to display it again.

Conclusion

Dealing with date and time formats in Python can be tricky, but with a clear understanding of the strptime and strftime functions, you can effectively manipulate date strings as required. Just remember, after converting a string to a DateTime object, if you wish to maintain your preferred display format, you’ll need to call strftime to format it back to that style.

With these techniques, you're now equipped to handle date-time manipulations in your Python projects with ease. Happy coding!