strftime() vs strptime() – The Dynamic Duo of Python DateTime

Ah, Python dates. You never quite realize how much of a mess they are—until you’re knee-deep in some API response with a timestamp like "2025-04-10T14:30:00Z" and someone asks you to make sense of it.

Enter the Batman and Robin of Python’s datetime module:
👉 strftime() — the Formatter
👉 strptime() — the Parser

Let’s break this dynamic duo down. Who does what, when to use whom, and how they work together like peanut butter & jelly 🥜🍇.

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The TL;DR: Who Does What?

Function	Role	Use Case
strftime()	Format datetime → string	When you want to display a nice date.
strptime()	Parse string → datetime	When you want to read a raw string.

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Example: strftime() – “Make it Pretty”

from datetime import datetime

now = datetime.now()
print(now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))
# Output: 2025-04-10 16:55:23

More on strftime() here – https://brontowise.com/2025/05/18/mastering-strftime-in-python/

Think of strftime() as the person who takes your chaotic datetime object and dresses it up for presentation.

💡 “Hey boss, here’s your date, nice and tidy!”

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Example: strptime() – “Make it Usable”

from datetime import datetime

date_str = "10/04/2025 04:30 PM"
dt = datetime.strptime(date_str, "%d/%m/%Y %I:%M %p")
print(dt)
# Output: 2025-04-10 16:30:00

More on strptime() here – https://brontowise.com/2025/05/21/parsing-dates-with-strptime-in-python/

This one is the detective—analyzing raw clues (strings) and converting them into objects Python can work with.

💡 “Got it, chief. That string is actually a datetime in disguise!”

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The Real-World Analogy

Imagine you’re reading and writing a diary:

• 📝 strptime() is you reading an entry: “April 10, 2025? Ah yes, that was the day I discovered list comprehensions.”
• ✍️ strftime() is you writing a new one, formatting the date as "2025-04-10" before scribbling your thoughts.

They’re opposites, yet equally important.

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Common Pitfalls

• The format string must match exactly in strptime() — get one % wrong and you’ll meet Mr. ValueError.
• strftime() won’t complain, but you’ll get garbage if you choose wrong format codes.
• And nope, %Y/%m/%d is not the same as %m/%d/%Y.

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📋 Handy Format Cheat Sheet

Code	Meaning	Example
%Y	Year (4 digits)	2025
%m	Month (01-12)	04
%d	Day (01-31)	10
%H	Hour (00-23)	16
%I	Hour (01-12)	04
%p	AM/PM	PM
%M	Minute	55
%S	Second	23

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When to Use What?

• Use strptime() when data comes from outside – CSVs, APIs, user input.
• Use strftime() when you’re preparing data to go outside – reports, logs, filenames.

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Final Thought

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
— William Penn

With strptime() and strftime(), at least in code, you can use time wisely 😉

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