Python datetime strptime | Convert string to datetime Example

With the Python Datetime strptime function, you can convert a string to DateTime. The strptime function is available in DateTime and time modules, you have to import one of them to parse a string to DateTime and time objects respectively.

“strptime = String parse time”

Syntax

Python strptime() is a class method in datetime class.

datetime.datetime.strptime(date_string, format)

OR

Time module has the similar function available, here is syntax

time.strptime(time_string[, format])

Python datetime strptime Example

For a get datetime class, you need to import DateTime module.

import datetime

# MM/DD/YY HH:MM:SS
datetime_str = '10/11/18 14:35:32'

datetime_obj = datetime.datetime.strptime(datetime_str, '%m/%d/%y %H:%M:%S')
print(datetime_obj)

Output: 2018-10-11 14:35:32

OR – the Same example for above, import “from module_name.member_name” datetime.

from datetime import datetime

# MM/DD/YY HH:MM:SS
datetime_str = '10/11/18 14:35:32'

datetime_obj = datetime.strptime(datetime_str, '%m/%d/%y %H:%M:%S')
print(datetime_obj)

Get the Time from String 

Example of get the TIME only.

import datetime

time_str = '15:35:36'
time_obj = datetime.datetime.strptime(time_str, '%H:%M:%S').time()
print(time_obj)

Output: 15:35:36

Get the Date from String 

Example of get the DATE only.

import datetime
date_str = '10-11-2018'

date_object = datetime.datetime.strptime(date_str, '%m-%d-%Y').date()

print(date_object)

Output: 2018-10-11

Python time strptime example

You have to import a time module for this example.

import time

# MM/DD/YY HH:MM:SS
datetime_str = '10/11/18 14:35:32'

print(time.strptime(datetime_str, '%m/%d/%y %H:%M:%S'))

Output: time.struct_time(tm_year=2018, tm_mon=10, tm_mday=11, tm_hour=14, tm_min=35, tm_sec=32, tm_wday=3, tm_yday=284, tm_isdst=-1)

Python strptime() format directives

Here is a list of formate directives used in strptime() function.

Error: module ‘datetime’ has no attribute ‘strptime’?

Use 2-time DateTime because datetime is also stood for the module. So you need to access datetime class then strptime function.

import datetime
date_str = '10-11-2018'
date_object = datetime.datetime.strptime(date_str, '%m-%d-%Y').date()

or use  import “from module_name.member_name” datetime.

from datetime import datetime
datetime_str = '10/11/18 14:35:32'
datetime_obj = datetime.strptime(datetime_str, '%m/%d/%y %H:%M:%S')

Note: This example (Project) is developed in PyCharm 2018.2 (Community Edition)
JRE: 1.8.0
JVM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o
macOS 10.13.6

Python 3.7

All examples are in Python 3, so it may change its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.