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Python Dates and Times in Python (2014) Let's Build a Timed Quiz App Timestamp Ordering

Vidhya Sagar
Vidhya Sagar
1,568 Points

COMPLETELY LOST !!! PLEASE HELP

Create a function named timestamp_oldest that takes any number of POSIX timestamp arguments. Return the oldest one as a datetime object.

Remember, POSIX timestamps are floats and lists have a .sort() method.

timestamp.py
# If you need help, look up datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp()
# Also, remember that you *will not* know how many timestamps
# are coming in.
def timestamp_oldest():
    return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp().

2 Answers

Hi there - I myself had a good bit of trouble with that one (along with the rest of Dates & Times, but try something like this :

import datetime

def timestamp_oldest(*args):
  time_list = []
  for time_stamp in args:
    time_list.append(time_stamp)

  time_list.sort()
  return datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(time_list[0])

Essentially, you'll create a function that will unpack the items assigned in the function call. You need an empty list to hold all that though, as well as to sort it later.

Next you'll need a for loop. For every 'time_stamp' in the args, you'll need to append the 'time_stamp' to the 'time_list'.

Once you've appended the unknown number of timestamps to your list, you'll be able to sort the list. And then lastly, you just need to return the result, with datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(), and call your time_stamp that is indexed at 0 in your time_list.

Dates & Times are rough, I'm still rewatching those videos. Best of luck!

Vidhya Sagar
Vidhya Sagar
1,568 Points

Thanks a ton brother .Really helped me a lot.Thhanks for your time.