Python timestamp to datetime and vice-versa

Python timestamp to datetime and vice-versa#

Learn to convert timestamp to datetime object and datetime object to timestamp (with the help of examples).

It’s pretty common to store date and time as a timestamp in a database. A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds between a particular date and January 1, 1970 at UTC.

Example 1: Python timestamp to datetime#

# Example 1: Python timestamp to datetime

from datetime import datetime

timestamp = 1545730073
dt_object = datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp)

print("dt_object =", dt_object)
print("type(dt_object) =", type(dt_object))

# When you run the program, the output will be something like below:

dt_object = 2018-12-25 14:57:53
type(dt_object) = <class 'datetime.datetime'>

Explanation:

Here, we have imported datetime class from the datetime module. Then, we used datetime.fromtimestamp() classmethod which returns the local date and time (datetime object). This object is stored in dt_object variable.

Note: You can easily create a string representing date and time from a datetime object using strftime() method.

Example 2: Python datetime to timestamp#

You can get timestamp from a datetime object using datetime.timestamp() method.

# Example 2: Python datetime to timestamp

from datetime import datetime

# current date and time
now = datetime.now()

timestamp = datetime.timestamp(now)
print("timestamp =", timestamp)

# When you run the program, the output will be something like below:

timestamp = 1624370069.654593

💻 Exercises ➞ Date and Time#

Exercises ➞ Level 1#

  1. Get the current day, month, year, hour, minute and timestamp from datetime module

  2. Format the current date using this format: "%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S")

  3. Today is 5 December, 2019. Change this time string to time.

  4. Calculate the time difference between now and new year.

  5. Calculate the time difference between 1 January 1970 and now.

  6. Think, what can you use the datetime module for? Examples:

    • Time series analysis

    • To get a timestamp of any activities in an application

    • Adding posts on a blog

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