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Python Dates and Times in Python (2014) Dates and Times strftime & strptime

Posted by Brendan Dzeguze
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Brendan Dzeguze
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 14,567 Points

Code not working. need help.

can someone help? my code isnt running.

timestrings.py 
import datetime
## Examples
# to_string(datetime_object) => "24 September 2012"
# from_string("09/24/12 18:30", "%m/%d/%y %H:%M") => datetime
def to_string(datetime):
    return(datetime('%D %B %Y'))

def from_string(datetime):
    return(datetime("%D/%B/%Y %H:%M"))

1 Answer

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

Hey Brendan Dzeguze, you are on the right path, Let's get finish this together

  • The module datetime was imported correct. By naming the to_string parameter "datetime", the imported module name is overwritten inside the function. This makes it not possible to use any datetime module functions. :point_right: avoid using module names or builtin function names as parameter names. Try using dtime as parameter name.
  • To convert to a string, a datetime object has a strftime method. :point_right: use `dtime.strftime() with your format string as the argument to convert a string
  • The "%D" format returns a full date, you probably meant to use "%d" for the day value. :point_right: "'%d %B %Y"
  • for from_string, you will need to call the constructor method datetime.datetime.strptime(string, format) where the string and frmt are passed into the function. Just using datetime points to the module, to get the class and method. It can be confusing when the main object class is the same name as its module name.

More on strptime in the docs

Post back if you need more help! Good luck!!