topic Re: Date - Today's date in Python? in Python Questions

Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:48:31 GMT

Hi guys,

I am writing a python script that adds a feature to geodatabase feature class. Some fields the user has to enter manually and some are automatic. However the date field output is an incorrect date of 7/5/1905. Does anybody have any idea why this is happening? I have tried everything I could find and nothing worked. I am using a file geodatabase, the date field is of date type and my computer's setting has the correct today's date. Thank you for any help!

Here is the code

#Calculate Date Field expression = time.strftime("%Y") arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", expression, "PYTHON")

If I change the code I get a date of 3/29/1969. Here is the code for that:

#Calculate Date Field                                                     import time                                                               import datetime                                                           now = datetime.date.today()                                               expression = now.strftime("%m%d%y")                                                                                                                 arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", expression, "PYTHON")

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

JamesCrandall — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:07:39 GMT

I am not entirely clear on what the issue is and what your desired result should be, but here is how you get a current date

#current date
d1 = datetime.today()
_currdate = datetime.strftime(d1, "%Y-%m-%d")

#date of 15 days ago from the current date
d2 = d1 - timedelta(15)
_pastdate = datetime.strftime(d2, "%Y-%m-%d")

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

RhettZufelt — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:21:42 GMT

A few options, depending on the format you want.

>>> from time import strftime
>>> strftime("%m-%d-%Y %H:%M:%S")
'06-13-2013 11:52:00'
>>> strftime("%m-%d-%Y")
'06-13-2013'
>>> strftime("%m%d%y")
'061313'
>>> strftime("%m%d%Y")
'06132013'
>>> strftime("%Y")
'2013'
>>>

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:21:44 GMT

Thank you James, but I tried your code and I get a null value for the date field. I am not sure if the calculate field management method is recognizing as a string, a real expression.

Here is my code

#Calculate Date Field                                                   
import time                                                             
import datetime                                                         
#current date                                                           
d1 = datetime.today()                                                   
_currdate = datetime.strftime(d1, "%Y-%m-%d")                           
                                                               
                                                                        
arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", _currdate, "PYTHON")

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:15:26 GMT

Thank you Rhett. Is there any chance you know why Jame's code is not working? Thanks

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

JamesCrandall — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:21:47 GMT

#Calculate Date Field                                                   
import time                                                             
import datetime                                                         
#current date                                                           
d1 = datetime.today()                                                   
_currdate = datetime.strftime(d1, "%Y-%m-%d")                           
                                                               
                                                                        
arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", _currdate, "PYTHON")

If it is a date type field, then just use d1 variable in your calculate process.

arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", d1, "PYTHON")

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:39:13 GMT

It is a date type but that did not work, I got a null value

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

RhettZufelt — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:21:50 GMT

ionara,

Don't have time to dive into this at the moment, but it could be because the datetime module has no attribute "today" so

d1 = datetime.today()

will error out and not assign the variable no matter what imports I try in the IDE.

Not where I can look it up at the moment, but you should look into the datetime attributes and options. believe something like


d1 =  = date.today()

But don't remember exactly offhand.

R_

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:58:11 GMT

This worked for me! Thanks guys!!!!

arcpy.CalculateField_management("Boundary", "Date", "time.strftime('%d/%m/%Y')", "PYTHON_9.3", "")

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

JamesCrandall — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:21:52 GMT

It is a date type but that did not work, I got a null value

Add another "datetime" to the line:

#current date
d1 = datetime.datetime.today()
print str(d1)

I get: 2013-06-13 16:04:42.57100

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:14:48 GMT

Thank you James. I just need the date! Thanks again! My problem was with the single and double quotes.

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

RhettZufelt — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:26:12 GMT

Yep, that did it.

Guess will all the options available, just pick one that works.:cool:

R_

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:28:22 GMT

Thank you Rhett and James!!! 😄

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

NiklasNorrthon — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:49:57 GMT

Calling CalculateField from python is asking for trouble. In my experience it is always, without exceptions, much easier to use cursors instead. Especially with the arcpy.da cursors introduced in ArcGIS 10.1

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

ionarawilson1 — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:24:45 GMT

Hi Niklas,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I was on vacation. Can you please elaborate on CalculatingField being a problem? What would be the correct way to calculate the date if I used another method? Thank you!

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

AmandaBishop — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:03:55 GMT

Does this python code also work in the field calculator inside of the attribute table? I have an active edit session on my feature class in the geodatabase and I am trying to get the current date for editing.

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

Zeke — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:18:32 GMT

Is the field you're calculating a date type field or text? Either way, you can use these types of code snippets in Field Calculator, but you may want/need the Advanced codeblock to set up a def returning your value.

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:49:33 GMT

As Greg said, it can be done... a snippet designed for a text field

>>> print datetime.strftime(datetime.today(),"%Y-%m-%d")

2014-12-10

>>>

as a function it would have to be

Parser: Python

from datetime import datetime

def (dateFld):

datetime.strftime(datetime.today(),"%Y-%m-%d")

Expression box: !YourDateFieldName!

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

AmandaBishop — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:58:27 GMT

Hello Greg,

After I posted this if found out that there is a default "data" field calculation in the field calculator tool. It was handy and much easier than trying to write my own.

Thank you.

Re: Date - Today's date in Python?

AmandaBishop — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:58:40 GMT

Hey Dan,

After I posted this if found out that there is a default "data" field calculation in the field calculator tool. It was handy and much easier than trying to write my own.

Thank you.