Coding with Dates and Times in Python

Mastering DateTime Handling, Manipulation, and Formatting in Python

Dealing with dates and times is a common but often challenging task in programming. Python provides powerful libraries, such as datetime, dateutil, and pytz, to simplify working with dates and times. In this article, we'll explore effective coding practices for handling dates and times in Python, along with practical code examples.

Photo from Pexels

1. Parsing Dates and Times

Parsing date and time strings into Python’s datetime objects is a fundamental task. The datetime.strptime() method allows you to parse date strings with specified formats:

from datetime import datetime

date_str = "2023-07-15"
date_format = "%Y-%m-%d"

parsed_date = datetime.strptime(date_str, date_format)
print(parsed_date)

2. Formatting Dates and Times

Formatting dates and times for display is crucial. The strftime() method lets you format datetime objects into strings:

formatted_date = parsed_date.strftime("%A, %B %d, %Y")
print(formatted_date)

3. Timezone Handling

Dealing with timezones is essential when working with global data. The pytz library helps manage…