time.md

Python by Example: Time

Working with dates and times is common—logging, scheduling, durations. Use datetime for dates and times; use time for low-level operations like Unix timestamps. datetime.now() gives the current time; timedelta represents a duration. Time zones add complexity—datetime supports them via zoneinfo (Python 3.9+).

What you'll learn:

• datetime.now() for current time
• time.time() for Unix timestamp
• Creating specific dates
• timedelta for duration

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
import time

# Current time
now = datetime.now()
print(now)

# Unix timestamp
ts = time.time()
print(ts)

# Create a specific date
dt = datetime(2025, 2, 10, 14, 30)
print(dt)

# Timedelta
tomorrow = now + timedelta(days=1)
print(tomorrow)

The Unix timestamp is seconds since 1970-01-01 UTC. timedelta supports days, seconds, microseconds, and more.

To run this program:

$ python source/time-example.py
2025-02-10 14:30:00.123456   # varies by execution time
1739189400.123
2025-02-10 14:30:00
2025-02-11 14:30:00.123456   # varies by execution time

The first and last lines depend on when you run the script.

Tip: For timezone-aware times, use datetime.now(timezone.utc) or zoneinfo.

Try it: Create a timedelta of one week and add it to today.

Source: time-example.py

Next: Time Formatting