# strftime

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< c‎ | chrono

Defined in header `<time.h>` |  |
size_t strftime( char * str, size_t count, const char * format, const struct tm * time ); |  | (until C99)
size_t strftime( char *restrict str, size_t count, const char *restrict format, const struct tm *restrict time ); |  | (since C99)

Converts the date and time information from a given calendar time `time` to a null-terminated multibyte character string `str` according to format string `format`. Up to `count` bytes are written.

### Parameters

str | - | pointer to the first element of the char array for output
count | - | maximum number of bytes to write
format | - | pointer to a null-terminated multibyte character string specifying the format of conversion. The format string consists of zero or more conversion specifiers and ordinary characters (except `%`). All ordinary characters, including the terminating null character, are copied to the output string without modification. Each conversion specification begins with `%` character, optionally followed by `E` or `O` modifier (ignored if unsupported by the locale), followed by the character that determines the behavior of the specifier. The following format specifiers are available:
Conversion specifier | Explanation | Used fields
--- | --- | ---
`%` | writes literal `%`. The full conversion specification must be `%%`. |
`n` (C99) | writes newline character |
`t` (C99) | writes horizontal tab character |
Year
`Y` | writes year as a decimal number, e.g. 2017 | `tm_year`
`EY` (C99) | writes year in the alternative representation, e.g.平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`
`y` | writes last 2 digits of year as a decimal number (range `[00,99]`) | `tm_year`
`Oy` (C99) | writes last 2 digits of year using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十一 instead of 11 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`
`Ey` (C99) | writes year as offset from locale's alternative calendar period `%EC` (locale-dependent) | `tm_year`
`C` (C99) | writes first 2 digits of year as a decimal number (range `[00,99]`) | `tm_year`
`EC` (C99) | writes name of the base year (period) in the locale's alternative representation, e.g. 平成 (Heisei era) in ja_JP | `tm_year`
`G` (C99) | writes ISO 8601 week-based year, i.e. the year that contains the specified week. In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`g` (C99) | writes last 2 digits of ISO 8601 week-based year, i.e. the year that contains the specified week (range `[00,99]`). In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
Month
`b` | writes abbreviated month name, e.g. `Oct` (locale dependent) | `tm_mon`
`h` (C99) | synonym of `b` | `tm_mon`
`B` | writes full month name, e.g. `October` (locale dependent) | `tm_mon`
`m` | writes month as a decimal number (range `[01,12]`) | `tm_mon`
`Om` (C99) | writes month using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十二 instead of 12 in ja_JP locale | `tm_mon`
Week
`U` | writes week of the year as a decimal number (Sunday is the first day of the week) (range `[00,53]`) | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OU` (C99) | writes week of the year, as by `%U`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`W` | writes week of the year as a decimal number (Monday is the first day of the week) (range `[00,53]`) | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OW` (C99) | writes week of the year, as by `%W`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`V` (C99) | writes ISO 8601 week of the year (range `[01,53]`). In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OV` (C99) | writes week of the year, as by `%V`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
Day of the year/month
`j` | writes day of the year as a decimal number (range `[001,366]`) | `tm_yday`
`d` | writes day of the month as a decimal number (range `[01,31]`) | `tm_mday`
`Od` (C99) | writes zero-based day of the month using the alternative numeric system, e.g 二十七 instead of 27 in ja_JP locale Single character is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
`e` (C99) | writes day of the month as a decimal number (range `[1,31]`). Single digit is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
`Oe` (C99) | writes one-based day of the month using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十七 instead of 27 in ja_JP locale Single character is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
Day of the week
`a` | writes abbreviated weekday name, e.g. `Fri` (locale dependent) | `tm_wday`
`A` | writes full weekday name, e.g. `Friday` (locale dependent) | `tm_wday`
`w` | writes weekday as a decimal number, where Sunday is `0` (range `[0-6]`) | `tm_wday`
`Ow` (C99) | writes weekday, where Sunday is `0`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二 instead of 2 in ja_JP locale | `tm_wday`
`u` (C99) | writes weekday as a decimal number, where Monday is `1` (ISO 8601 format) (range `[1-7]`) | `tm_wday`
`Ou` (C99) | writes weekday, where Monday is `1`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二 instead of 2 in ja_JP locale | `tm_wday`
Hour, minute, second
`H` | writes hour as a decimal number, 24 hour clock (range `[00-23]`) | `tm_hour`
`OH` (C99) | writes hour from 24-hour clock using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十八 instead of 18 in ja_JP locale | `tm_hour`
`I` | writes hour as a decimal number, 12 hour clock (range `[01,12]`) | `tm_hour`
`OI` (C99) | writes hour from 12-hour clock using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 六 instead of 06 in ja_JP locale | `tm_hour`
`M` | writes minute as a decimal number (range `[00,59]`) | `tm_min`
`OM` (C99) | writes minute using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十五 instead of 25 in ja_JP locale | `tm_min`
`S` | writes second as a decimal number (range `[00,60]`) | `tm_sec`
`OS` (C99) | writes second using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十四 instead of 24 in ja_JP locale | `tm_sec`
Other
`c` | writes standard date and time string, e.g. `Sun Oct 17 04:41:13 2010` (locale dependent) | all
`Ec` (C99) | writes alternative date and time string, e.g. using 平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | all
`x` | writes localized date representation (locale dependent) | all
`Ex` (C99) | writes alternative date representation, e.g. using 平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | all
`X` | writes localized time representation (locale dependent) | all
`EX` (C99) | writes alternative time representation (locale dependent) | all
`D` (C99) | equivalent to "%m/%d/%y" | `tm_mon`, `tm_mday`, `tm_year`
`F` (C99) | equivalent to "%Y-%m-%d" (the ISO 8601 date format) | `tm_mon`, `tm_mday`, `tm_year`
`r` (C99) | writes localized 12-hour clock time (locale dependent) | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`, `tm_sec`
`R` (C99) | equivalent to "%H:%M" | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`
`T` (C99) | equivalent to "%H:%M:%S" (the ISO 8601 time format) | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`, `tm_sec`
`p` | writes localized a.m. or p.m. (locale dependent) | `tm_hour`
`z` (C99) | writes offset from UTC in the ISO 8601 format (e.g. `-0430`), or no characters if the time zone information is not available | `tm_isdst`
`Z` | writes locale-dependent time zone name or abbreviation, or no characters if the time zone information is not available | `tm_isdst`
time | - | pointer to a struct tm object specifying the time to format

### Return value

The number of bytes written into the character array pointed to by `str` not including the terminating '\0' on success. If `count` was reached before the entire string could be stored, ​0​ is returned and the contents are undefined.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <time.h>
    #include <locale.h>

    int main(void)
    {
        char buff[70];
        struct tm my_time = { .tm_year=112, // = year 2012
                              .tm_mon=9,    // = 10th month
                              .tm_mday=9,   // = 9th day
                              .tm_hour=8,   // = 8 hours
                              .tm_min=10,   // = 10 minutes
                              .tm_sec=20    // = 20 secs
        };

        if (strftime(buff, sizeof buff, "%A %c", &my_time)) {
            puts(buff);
        } else {
            puts("strftime failed");
        }

        setlocale(LC_TIME, "el_GR.utf8");

        if (strftime(buff, sizeof buff, "%A %c", &my_time)) {
            puts(buff);
        } else {
            puts("strftime failed");
        }
    }

Output:

    Sunday Sun Oct  9 08:10:20 2012
    Κυριακή Κυρ 09 Οκτ 2012 08:10:20 πμ EST

### References

- C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011):

  - 7.27.3.5 The strftime function (p: 394-397)

- C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999):

  - 7.23.3.5 The strftime function (p: 343-347)

- C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990):

  - 4.12.3.5 The strftime function

### See also

asctime asctime_s (C11) | converts a `tm` object to a textual representation (function)
ctime ctime_s (C11) | converts a `time_t` object to a textual representation (function)
wcsftime (C95) | converts a `tm` object to custom wide string textual representation (function)

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