On Date, Datetime, and Time Format in web2py

On date, datetime, and time format

As with any other framework, web2py also has some formats in a different areas, so we will discuss the date, datetime, and time format in this section.web2py consists of three different representations for each field types date, time, and datetime:

• the database representation
• the internal web2py representation
• the string representation in forms and tables

In web2py, the database representation is an internal affair/issue and does not affect the code. In web2py, internally, they are stored as datetime.datetime, datetime.date, and datetime.time object, respectively, and they can be customized as below:

for page in db(db.page).select():
    print page.title, page.created_on.day, page.created_on.month, page.created_on.year

When we convert dates to strings, they are converted using the ISO representation:

%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S

Though yet, this representation is generalized, and we can use the admin translation page to change the format into another one. For example:

%m/%d/%Y %H:%M:%S

Note that by default, English is not translated because web2py assumes the apps are written in English. If we want internationalization to work for English, we need to design the translation file, and we need to declare that the application’s current language is different than English, for example:

T.current_languages = ['null']

Example

Problem 

To show month-day-year format using web2py.

Solution

db.define_table('time',
   Field('date_made', 'datetime', default = request.now, requires = IS_DATE(format=('%d-%m-%Y'))) )    

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Web2py?

Web2Py is an open-source, free full-stack framework written in Python that helps rapidly develop fast, scalable, secure, and portable database-driven web-based applications.

Why Web2py is used?

Web2py is mainly used to program dynamic websites using Python as a programming language. It contains all the tools, components, and APIs essential to building a fully functional web application.

Can web2py be used with Python 3?

Web2py functions on Python 2.7, Python 3, with CPython (the C implementation), and PyPy (Python written in Python).

How to change the date format?

For changing the date format, we have to use the syntax: import datetime

now = datetime.datetime.now()

#You probably need something like the below --

date = now.strftime("%d %b %Y")

Which is preferable, Django or web2py?

Due to its smaller size, short learning curve, and lack of project-level configuration files, Web2py is preferred over Django. Compared to PHP-based frameworks and Java-based frameworks, Web2py has a significantly more explicit syntax than PHP-based and Java-based frameworks, making this application easier to comprehend, maintain, and create.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the web2py introduction, and then we saw what the date, datetime, and time format in web2py are. We started with the introduction of web2py, and then, with the help of some examples, we saw date, datetime, and time format.

Also, visit our Guided Path in  Coding Ninjas Studio to learn about Web2py. If you are preparing for an interview, visit our Interview Experience Section and interview bundle for placement preparations. Upskill yourself in Python, Kivy, Backend Web Technologies, SQL, MongoDB, Data Structures and Algorithms, JavaScript,  System Design, and much more!. Please upvote our blogs if you find them engaging and helpful! I wish you all the best for your future adventures and Happy Coding. 

Useful links: Web2py, Kivy, Ruby vs. Python. You can also refer to the Web2py Introduction, Web2py Installation,  Web2py Application, Web2py Tool,  Web2py Capacity Planning, and Troubleshooting in Web2py.