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

Posted by Marcel Kraus
Marcel Kraus
10,341 Points

Stuck at first code challenge

I always get an error. It does not matter what I try. The worst is, it does not tell me what my error is. It just says 'Bummer!' all the time.

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.datetime.strptime(f'{datetime}', "%d-%M-%Y")

2 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,457 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,457 Points

Hey Marcel Kraus, you’re close.

The method you want is strftime. Cleaning up the rest of the code:

  • don’t use library datetime name as parameter name. Try dtime
  • no space between function name and paren
  • use instance method `datetime.strftime()
  • use correct format string, B for full month name, "%d-%M-%Y"
Marcel Kraus
Marcel Kraus
10,341 Points

Thanks for your help, but even with the improvements it still does not work. These are the things I tried:

def to_string(dtime):
    return datetime.datetime.strftime(f'{dtime}', "%d-%B-%Y")

def to_string(dtime):
    return datetime.datetime.strftime("%d-%B-%Y")

def to_string(dtime):
    return datetime.strftime("%d-%B-%Y")

def to_string(dtime):
    return datetime.strftime(f'{dtime}', "%d-%B-%Y")
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,457 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,457 Points

Third one is closest.

  • Remember that the method is tied to the datetime object passed in, so the call is to dtime.strftime(...
  • the format string should have spaces and not hyphens
Marcel Kraus
Marcel Kraus
10,341 Points
Marcel Kraus
Marcel Kraus
10,341 Points

I finally got it! Thank you very much!