Built-in Mathematica Symbol

DateString

DateString[]
gives a string representing the complete current local date and time.

DateString["elem"]
gives the specified element or format for date and time.

DateString[{"elem₁", "elem₂", ...}]
concatenates the specified elements in the order given.

DateString[{y, m, d, h, m, s}]
gives a string corresponding to a DateList specification.

DateString[time]
gives a string corresponding to an AbsoluteTime specification.

DateString[spec, elems]
gives elements elems of the date or time specification spec.

DateString[] by default gives its output in the form specified by $DateStringFormat.

	"Date"	full date
	"DateShort"	full date, with short day and month names
	"Time"	full time
	"DateTime"	full date and time
	"DateTimeShort"	full date and time, with short names
	"Year"	full year (e.g. 2005)
	"YearShort"	2-digit year (e.g. 05)
	"QuarterName"	quarter of year (e.g. "Quarter 1")
	"QuarterNameShort"	quarter of year in short form (e.g. "Q1")
	"Quarter"	quarter number (e.g. 1)
	"MonthName"	month name (e.g. "August")
	"MonthNameShort"	month name in short form (e.g. "Aug")
	"MonthNameInitial"	first letter of month name (e.g. "A")
	"Month"	2-digit month number (e.g. 08)
	"MonthShort"	1- or 2-digit month number (e.g. 8)
	"DayName"	day of the week (e.g. "Wednesday")
	"DayNameShort"	day of the week in short form (e.g. "Wed")
	"DayNameInitial"	first letter of day name (e.g. "W")
	"Day"	2-digit day of the month (e.g. 09)
	"DayShort"	1- or 2-digit day of the month (e.g. 9 or 29)
	"Hour"	2-digit hour based on system preferences
	"Hour12"	2-digit hour on 12-hour clock (e.g. 07)
	"Hour24"	2-digit hour on 24-hour clock (e.g. 19)
	"HourShort"	1- or 2-digit hour based on system preferences
	"Hour12Short"	1- or 2-digit hour on 12-hour clock (e.g. 7)
	"Hour24Short"	1- or 2-digit hour on 24-hour clock (e.g. 7, 19)
	"AMPM"	AM or PM
	"AMPMLowerCase"	am or pm
	"Minute"	2-digit minute (e.g. 05)
	"MinuteShort"	1- or 2-digit minute (e.g. 5 or 35)
	"Second"	2-digit seconds
	"SecondShort"	1- or 2-digit seconds
	"SecondExact"	seconds including fractions
	"Millisecond"	3-digit milliseconds
	"MillisecondShort"	1-, 2- or 3-digit milliseconds

Any other string given in the list of elements is concatenated literally in the output string.

With a typical value for $DateStringFormat, DateString[{y, m, d, h, m, s}] will truncate fractional seconds.

Shorter lists can be used in DateString[{y, m, ...}]: {y} is equivalent to {y, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0}, {y, m} to {y, m, 1, 0, 0, 0}, etc.

Values of m, d, h, m, s outside their normal ranges are appropriately reduced. Non-integer values of d, h, m, s can also be used. »

In DateString[spec, elems]the following date and time specifications can be given as spec:

	time	absolute time specification
	{y,m,d,h,m,s}	DateList specification
	"string"	DateString output
	{"string",{"e₁","e₂",...}}	date string formed from specific elements

In the form DateString[{"string", {"e₁", "e₂", ...}, ...] the "e_i" can be "Year", "YearShort", "Quarter", "Month", "MonthName", "Day", "DayName", "Hour", "Hour12", "AMPM", "Minute", or "Second".

DateString[{"string", {"e₁", "e₂", ...}, ...] uses the "e_i" to fill in elements of {y, m, d, h, m, s}. Those not filled in are taken to have default values {y_c, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0}, where y_c is the current year. »

In DateString[{"string", {"e₁", "e₂", ...}, ...], the "e_i" are extracted from "string" in the order given, and can be separated by any non-alphanumeric characters. »

DateString[{"string", {"e₁", "sep₁₂", "e₂", "sep₂₃", ...}, ...] extracts elements using the explicit separators specified. »

In DateString[spec, elems] the time and date corresponding to spec are by default assumed to be in the time zone specified by $TimeZone, unless spec explicitly specifies another time zone.

DateString[] uses whatever date and time have been set on your computer system. It performs no corrections for time zones, daylight saving time, etc.

DateString[TimeZone -> z] gives the date and time inferred for time zone z by assuming that your computer is set for the time zone specified by $TimeZone. »