Integer difference in python between two dates

Question

I've RTFM and read many questions and answers here on SO regarding this, and was happily using strftime and strptime yesterday, so I would swear this should work, but it isn't....

I just want an integer. Not a "timedelta object." Not an "aware yet hashable object" (see, I RTFM). Not a tuple. Not a dictionary. Just a simple freaking integer so I can use an if statement and branch and be happy. Please bring the light of your wisdom upon this, with thanks.

Here's what I have

...
import datetime
mdate = "2010-10-05"
rdate = "2010-10-05"
mdate1 = datetime.strptime(mdate, "%Y-%m-%d")
rdate1 = datetime.strptime(rdate, "%Y-%m-%d")
delta =  datetime.timedelta.days(mdate1 - rdate1)

Here's what I get:

pmain.py:4: AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'strptime'
(error hits in the 'mdate1..." line above)

And, that doesn't mean that my delta line is going to work -- please look at that one, too.

Partial credit. Next error hits for delta line: pmain.py:6: TypeError: 'member_descriptor' object is not callable — Todd Curry
– Todd Curry, Commented Apr 23, 2013 at 13:36

Martijn Pieters · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-23 13:42:11Z

46

You want to get the classmethod datetime.datetime.strptime(), then take the .days attribute from the resulting timedelta:

import datetime

mdate = "2010-10-05"
rdate = "2010-10-05"
mdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(mdate, "%Y-%m-%d").date()
rdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(rdate, "%Y-%m-%d").date()
delta =  (mdate1 - rdate1).days

So you have the datetime module, which has a datetime.datetime class, which in turn has a datetime.datetime.strptime() method on it. I also added calls to .date() to extract just the date portion (result is a datetime.date instance); this makes dealing with timestamps that differ slightly less than a multiple of 24 hours easier.

Demo:

>>> import datetime
>>> mdate = "2010-10-05"
>>> rdate = "2010-10-05"
>>> mdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(mdate, "%Y-%m-%d").date()
>>> rdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(rdate, "%Y-%m-%d").date()
>>> delta =  (mdate1 - rdate1).days
>>> print delta
0
>>> type(delta)
<type 'int'>

edited Apr 23, 2013 at 13:42

answered Apr 23, 2013 at 13:36

Martijn Pieters

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8 Comments

Todd Curry Over a year ago

Perfet, Martijn - and as always you answer and explain and benefit future coders with your answers. Happy happy code now -- many thanks!

Aya Over a year ago

Might be better to also check seconds in case the OP wants to round to the nearest whole day.

George Over a year ago

Is the type of the variable delta an int?

Martijn Pieters Over a year ago

@George: added verification that it is indeed an int, just for you.

Martijn Pieters Over a year ago

@Aya: Yup, but not here, because the default datetime objects are timezone-naive (no timezone info at all, so no DST and no timezone changes either). :-)

|

Sebastian Pakieła · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-06 11:40:22Z

5

sign1['days'] = sign1['diff'] / np.timedelta64(1, 'D')

I had the same problem and it solved by uding the above statement. I hope it helps.

edited May 6, 2019 at 11:40

Sebastian Pakieła

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answered May 6, 2019 at 10:45

shilpa.rpns

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Comments

PLABON DATTA · Accepted Answer · 2022-11-08 06:57:21Z

-1

import datetime
mdate = "2010-11-05"
rdate = "2010-10-05"
mdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(mdate, "%Y-%m-%d")
rdate1 = datetime.datetime.strptime(rdate, "%Y-%m-%d")
delta = (mdate1 - rdate1).days

answered Nov 8, 2022 at 6:57

PLABON DATTA

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