Date Format in Swift

Question

How will I convert this datetime from the date?

From this: 2016-02-29 12:24:26
to: Feb 29, 2016

So far, this is my code and it returns a nil value:

let dateFormatter = NSDateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateFormat = "MM-dd-yyyy"
dateFormatter.timeZone = NSTimeZone(name: "UTC")
let date: NSDate? = dateFormatter.dateFromString("2016-02-29 12:24:26")
print(date)

Solution 1

You have to declare 2 different NSDateFormatters, the first to convert the string to a NSDate and the second to print the date in your format.
Try this code:

let dateFormatterGet = NSDateFormatter()
dateFormatterGet.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"

let dateFormatterPrint = NSDateFormatter()
dateFormatterPrint.dateFormat = "MMM dd,yyyy"

let date: NSDate? = dateFormatterGet.dateFromString("2016-02-29 12:24:26")
print(dateFormatterPrint.stringFromDate(date!))

Swift 3 and higher:

From Swift 3 NSDate class has been changed to Date and NSDateFormatter to DateFormatter.

let dateFormatterGet = DateFormatter()
dateFormatterGet.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"

let dateFormatterPrint = DateFormatter()
dateFormatterPrint.dateFormat = "MMM dd,yyyy"

if let date = dateFormatterGet.date(from: "2016-02-29 12:24:26") {
    print(dateFormatterPrint.string(from: date))
} else {
   print("There was an error decoding the string")
}

Solution 2

This may be useful for who want to use dateformater.dateformat;

if you want 12.09.18 you use dateformater.dateformat = "dd.MM.yy"

Wednesday, Sep 12, 2018           --> EEEE, MMM d, yyyy
09/12/2018                        --> MM/dd/yyyy
09-12-2018 14:11                  --> MM-dd-yyyy HH:mm
Sep 12, 2:11 PM                   --> MMM d, h:mm a
September 2018                    --> MMMM yyyy
Sep 12, 2018                      --> MMM d, yyyy
Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:11:54 +0000   --> E, d MMM yyyy HH:mm:ss Z
2018-09-12T14:11:54+0000          --> yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ
12.09.18                          --> dd.MM.yy
10:41:02.112                      --> HH:mm:ss.SSS

Here are alternatives:

• era: G (AD), GGGG (Anno Domini)
• year: y (2018), yy (18), yyyy (2018)
• month: M, MM, MMM, MMMM, MMMMM
• day of month: d, dd
• day name of week: E, EEEE, EEEEE, EEEEEE

Solution 3

Swift - 5.0

let date = Date()
let format = date.getFormattedDate(format: "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss") // Set output format

extension Date {
   func getFormattedDate(format: String) -> String {
        let dateformat = DateFormatter()
        dateformat.dateFormat = format
        return dateformat.string(from: self)
    }
}

Swift - 4.0

2018-02-01T19:10:04+00:00 Convert Feb 01,2018

extension Date {
    static func getFormattedDate(string: String , formatter:String) -> String{
        let dateFormatterGet = DateFormatter()
        dateFormatterGet.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ"
        
        let dateFormatterPrint = DateFormatter()
        dateFormatterPrint.dateFormat = "MMM dd,yyyy"
        
        let date: Date? = dateFormatterGet.date(from: "2018-02-01T19:10:04+00:00")
        print("Date",dateFormatterPrint.string(from: date!)) // Feb 01,2018
        return dateFormatterPrint.string(from: date!);
    }
}

Solution 4

Swift 3 and higher

let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateStyle = .medium
dateFormatter.timeStyle = .none
dateFormatter.locale = Locale.current
print(dateFormatter.string(from: date)) // Jan 2, 2001

This is also helpful when you want to localize your App. The Locale(identifier: ) uses the ISO 639-1 Code. See also the Apple Documentation

Solution 5

Swift 3 version with the new Date object instead NSDate:

let dateFormatterGet = DateFormatter()
dateFormatterGet.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"

let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateFormat = "MMM dd,yyyy"

let date: Date? = dateFormatterGet.date(from: "2017-02-14 17:24:26")
print(dateFormatter.string(from: date!))

EDIT: after mitul-nakum suggestion

View more solutions

Comments

[Sydney Loteria]

But how will you convert that to this kind of date format Feb 29, 2016

[Pavlos]

do you know why I get nil when I try to print this?

[Mitul Nakum]

dateFormatterGet.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" hour formate will require capital HH, as hour is in 24 formate

[KvnH]

What happens if the dateFormatterGet dateFormat needs to accept 2 different formats - one containing milliseconds and one without milliseconds? ie yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZZZZZ and yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss:SSSZZZZZ

[LorenzOliveto]

I think you have to declare two different DateFormatters to get the date: if the first one fails (it will return nil), use the second.

[LorenzOliveto]

This can be compacted using only one date formatter with the format "EEEE\nMMMM dd".

[Markus]

RECTIFICATION: I have tested the code but you do not obtain the letters in uppercase.

[LorenzOliveto]

Yes, the uppercase has to be applied to the string returned, like in your answer. The the date formatter doesn't return an uppercase string. Just add .uppercased() like this "dateFormat.string(from: Date()).uppercased()"

[Victor Engel]

If you want to localize your app, just use Locale.current to use the user's locale.

[Devesh.452]

Can you please help me, what will the date format for "Tue Mar 12 2019 12:00:00 GMT-0500 (CDT)"

[LorenzOliveto]

@Devesh it should be something like this "EEE MMM d yyyy HH:mm:ss ZZZZ", check out nsdateformatter.com it's a very hanful site with all the formats supported

[Devesh.452]

@lorenzoliveto yes I have tried all the way for this format I tried on nsdateformatter.com too, still, I am not able to get anything for "Tue Mar 12 2019 12:00:00 GMT-0500 (CDT)" this format. I am getting this format in a JSON. I am not sure wether this is valid string, can you please help me.

[LorenzOliveto]

@Devesh this should be the format you need "EEE MMM d yyyy HH:mm:ss 'GMT'Z '('z')'"

[Neph]

This is a good, short solution with just a single DateFormatter()! Something to be aware of: The DateFormatter also takes the application region (set in the scheme) into account! E.g. 2019-05-27 11:03:03 +0000 with the format yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss and "Germany" as the region turns into 2019-05-27 13:03:03. This difference is caused by DST: In summer Germany is GMT+2, while in winter it's GMT+1.

[Manoj]

@Devesh E MMM d yyyy HH:mm:ss 'GMT'Z will work for you

[Piotr Labunski]

While this code may answer the question, providing additional context regarding how and/or why it solves the problem would improve the answer's long-term value.

[Muhammad Abbas]

One of the best answer

[beginner992]

Superb answer! Good job.

[simpleuser]

See stackoverflow.com/a/55093100/1663987 for how to get the whole list.

[mahan]

@FontFamily to some extent you are right. I updated the URL but still no overview available.

[Sulthan]

The documentation says this is available in iOS 15, not related to Swift version.