`decimaldate` Documentation

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This documentation was generated Nov 19, 2024.

The source for this decimaldate project is available on GitHub.

Introduction

decimaldate is a Python utility package to handle integer dates on the form yyyymmdd.

Many times when you work with dates you encounter dates on the form yyyymmdd stored as integers. Compared to other formats like ddmmyyyy, mmddyyyy, and mmddyy this format is easily comparable (by using ìnt’s comparison operators < etc.) and thus sortable.

Convenience

As the base is an integer, there are no separators (e.g. - or /) used.

For convenience you can use a Python feature using underscores _ to improve readability in your source code when writing int values like: 2024_02_28 which is equivalent to 20240228 (or 2_0_2_4_0_2_2_8).

Using the underscore _ is a convenient separator for integers with information like: dates, phone numbers, social security numbers, and zip codes.

The documentation and source code will use _ extensively to improve readability.

>>> 2024_03_12
20240312

This also works for strings when parsed as an integer:

>>> int("2024_03_12")
20240312

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> DecimalDate("2024_02_14")
DecimalDate(20240214)

Use

Creation

A DecimalDate accepts:

No argument or None which both will use today’s date

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> DecimalDate()
DecimalDate(20240910)

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> DecimalDate(None)
DecimalDate(20240910)

int on the form yyyymmdd

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> DecimalDate(2024_03_12)
DecimalDate(20240312)

str on the form yyyymmdd

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> DecimalDate("2024_03_12")
DecimalDate(20240312)

datetime.date

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> from datetime import date
>>> DecimalDate(date.today())
DecimalDate(20240910)

datetime.datetime

>>> from decimaldate import DecimalDate
>>> from datetime import datetime
>>> DecimalDate(datetime.today())
DecimalDate(20240910)

Class Utilities and Convenience

See the usage page.

Instance Utilities and Convenience