strftime() and strptime() are both functions used for formatting and parsing dates and times in Python, but they serve different purposes.
strftime() is used to format a datetime object into a string representation, while strptime() is used to parse a string into a datetime object.
The syntax for strftime() and strptime() is different. Here’s a breakdown of the syntax for each function:
strftime() Syntax (String Format Time): The strftime() function takes a datetime object and a format string as input and returns a formatted string representation of the date and time.
strftime(format)
strptime() Syntax (String Parse Time): The strptime() function takes a string and a format string as input and returns a datetime object representing the parsed date and time.
strptime(date_string, format)
Here’s a tabular format highlighting the differences between strftime() and strptime():
| Function | Purpose | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
strftime() | Formats a datetime object into a string representation | datetime object, format string | Formatted string |
strptime() | Parses a string representing a date and time into a datetime object | String, format string | datetime object |
Difference between strftime() and strptime() example
Here are examples showcasing the difference between strftime() and strptime():
1. Example of strftime() (String Format Time):
from datetime import datetime
now = datetime.now()
formatted_date = now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
print(formatted_date)
2. Example of strptime() (String Parse Time):
from datetime import datetime
date_string = "2023-06-29 14:30:00"
parsed_date = datetime.strptime(date_string, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
print(parsed_date)
Output:
Comment if you have any doubts or suggestions on this Python difference topic.
Note: IDE: PyCharm 2021.3.3 (Community Edition)
Windows 10
Python 3.10.1
All Python Examples are in Python 3, so Maybe its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.