Current Timestamp

/52 Week of Year
Seconds since Jan 01 1970. (UTC)

Timestamp and Date String Conversion

Recent Timestamps

Start ofDate StringTimestamp

Date Parts to Timestamp

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

What is a timestamp?

A timestamp is a sequence of characters or encoded information that identifies when a certain event occurred. It usually includes the date and time of day, and can be accurate to a small fraction of a second. Timestamps don't have to be based on absolute time - they can be relative to any arbitrary time, such as system boot time.

Q

What are the different types of timestamps?

There are three main types of time-related stamps: - Datestamp (DS): Shows only the date (e.g., 2024-11-15) - Timestamp (TS): Shows only the time of day (e.g., 20:07:20) - Date-timestamp (DTS): Shows both date and time (e.g., 2024-11-15, 20:07:20)

Q

How are timestamps used in computing?

In computing, timestamps are used in various ways: - File systems: Recording when files were created, modified, or accessed - Digital cameras: Recording when pictures were taken - Logging systems: Recording when events occurred - Version control: Tracking when changes were made - Database systems: Managing data chronology and synchronization

Q

What is the standard format for timestamps?

ISO 8601 is the international standard for representing dates and times. Some common formats include: - 2024-11-15T20:07:20Z (ISO 8601) - 2024-11-15 20:07:20 (Common format) - 1256953732 (Unix timestamp) The 'Z' suffix indicates UTC timezone.

Q

What is Unix timestamp?

A Unix timestamp represents the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC (the Unix Epoch). It's widely used in computing because it's simple, unambiguous, and easy to work with programmatically.

Q

Why are timestamps important?

Timestamps are crucial for: - Event sequencing and ordering - Data synchronization - Audit trails and logging - File management - Version control - Database transactions - Digital signatures and certificates

Q

Can timestamps be inaccurate?

Yes, timestamps can be inaccurate due to various factors: - System clock errors - Timezone misconfigurations - Daylight saving time transitions - Network time synchronization issues - Manual date/time changes It's important to validate timestamps when accuracy is crucial.

Q

How are timestamps used in file systems?

Modern file systems typically store three types of timestamps for each file: - Access time (atime): When the file was last accessed - Modification time (mtime): When the file's content was last modified - Change time (ctime): When the file's metadata was last changed

Timestamp in Programming Languages

How to get current Unix timestamp in different programming languages

LanguageCode Example
Python
# Method 1: Using time
import time
timestamp = int(time.time())

# Method 2: Using datetime
from datetime import datetime
timestamp = int(datetime.now().timestamp())
JavaScript
// Method 1: Using Date.now()
const timestamp = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);

// Method 2: Using new Date()
const timestamp = Math.floor(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
Java
// Method 1: Using System
long timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L;

// Method 2: Using Instant
long timestamp = Instant.now().getEpochSecond();
C++
// Method 1: Using chrono (C++11 and later)
#include <chrono>
auto timestamp = std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch() / 
    std::chrono::seconds(1);

// Method 2: Using time.h
#include <time.h>
time_t timestamp = time(nullptr);
C
#include <time.h>

time_t timestamp = time(NULL);  // or time(0)
Go
// Method 1: Unix timestamp
timestamp := time.Now().Unix()

// Method 2: UnixNano for higher precision
timestampNano := time.Now().UnixNano() / 1e9
Rust
// Method 1: Using SystemTime
use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
let timestamp = SystemTime::now()
    .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
    .unwrap()
    .as_secs();

// Method 2: Using time crate
use time::OffsetDateTime;
let timestamp = OffsetDateTime::now_utc().unix_timestamp();
PHP
// Method 1: Using time()
$timestamp = time();

// Method 2: Using strtotime()
$timestamp = strtotime('now');

// Method 3: Using DateTime
$timestamp = (new DateTime())->getTimestamp();
C#
// Method 1: Using DateTimeOffset
long timestamp = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds();

// Method 2: Using DateTime
long timestamp = ((DateTimeOffset)DateTime.UtcNow).ToUnixTimeSeconds();
Ruby
# Method 1: Using Time
timestamp = Time.now.to_i

# Method 2: Using DateTime
require 'date'
timestamp = DateTime.now.to_time.to_i
Swift
// Method 1: Using Date
let timestamp = Int(Date().timeIntervalSince1970)

// Method 2: Using TimeInterval
let timestamp = Int(Date.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate + Date.timeIntervalBetween1970AndReferenceDate)
Kotlin
// Method 1: Using System
val timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L

// Method 2: Using Instant
import java.time.Instant
val timestamp = Instant.now().epochSecond
R
# Method 1: Using Sys.time()
timestamp <- as.integer(Sys.time())

# Method 2: Using as.POSIXct
timestamp <- as.integer(as.POSIXct(Sys.time()))
MATLAB
% Method 1: Using posixtime
timestamp = posixtime(datetime('now'));

% Method 2: Using now
timestamp = round((now - datenum('1970-01-01')) * 86400);
Perl
# Method 1: Using time
my $timestamp = time();

# Method 2: Using Time::HiRes for higher precision
use Time::HiRes qw(time);
my $timestamp = int(time());
Scala
// Method 1: Using System
val timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L

// Method 2: Using Instant
import java.time.Instant
val timestamp = Instant.now.getEpochSecond
TypeScript
// Method 1: Using Date.now()
const timestamp: number = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);

// Method 2: Using new Date()
const timestamp: number = Math.floor(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
Dart
// Method 1: Using DateTime
int timestamp = DateTime.now().millisecondsSinceEpoch ~/ 1000;

// Method 2: Using DateTime.timestamp
int timestamp = DateTime.timestamp().millisecondsSinceEpoch ~/ 1000;
Lua
-- Method 1: Using os.time()
local timestamp = os.time()

-- Method 2: Using os.date
local timestamp = os.date("*t")
SQL
-- MySQL
SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP();

-- PostgreSQL
SELECT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)::INTEGER;

-- SQLite
SELECT strftime('%s', 'now');

-- SQL Server
SELECT DATEDIFF(SECOND, '1970-01-01', GETUTCDATE());
Delphi
// Method 1: Using DateTimeToUnix
timestamp := DateTimeToUnix(Now);

// Method 2: Using TDateTime
uses DateUtils;
timestamp := DateTimeToUnix(TDateTime.Now);
VB.NET
' Method 1: Using DateTimeOffset
Dim timestamp As Long = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds()

' Method 2: Using DateTime
Dim timestamp As Long = CLng((DateTime.UtcNow - New DateTime(1970, 1, 1)).TotalSeconds)
Groovy
// Method 1: Using System
def timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L

// Method 2: Using Instant
import java.time.Instant
def timestamp = Instant.now().epochSecond
Haskell
-- Method 1: Using getPOSIXTime
import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
timestamp <- round <$> getPOSIXTime

-- Method 2: Using UTCTime
import Data.Time.Clock
timestamp <- round . utcTimeToPOSIXSeconds <$> getCurrentTime