Resources / Date Time Format Strings
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    Date Time Format Strings
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    Date and time format strings control formatting operations in which a date and/or time is represented as a string. Date time format strings can for example be specified for axis scale labels in both charts and gauges. Additionally you can use a date time format string in the FORMAT pivot engine function. Date and time format strings fall into two categories:

     Standard DateTime Format Strings

    A standard date and time format string uses a single format specifier to define the text representation of a date and time value that is produced by a formatting operation. Any date and time format string that contains more than one character, including white space, is interpreted as a custom date and time format string. For more information, see Custom DateTime Format Strings.

    The following table describes the standard date and time format specifiers.

    Format specifier

    Description

    Examples

    "d"

    Short date pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 6/15/2009 (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15/06/2009 (fr-FR)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009/06/15 (ja-JP)

    "D"

    Long date pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Monday, June 15, 2009 (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15 июня 2009 г. (ru-RU)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Montag, 15. Juni 2009 (de-DE)

    "f"

    Full date/time pattern (short time).

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Monday, June 15, 2009 1:45 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> den 15 juni 2009 13:45 (sv-SE)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Δευτέρα, 15 Ιουνίου 2009 1:45 μμ (el-GR)

    "F"

    Full date/time pattern (long time).

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Monday, June 15, 2009 1:45:30 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> den 15 juni 2009 13:45:30 (sv-SE)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Δευτέρα, 15 Ιουνίου 2009 1:45:30 μμ (el-GR)

    "g"

    General date/time pattern (short time).

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 6/15/2009 1:45 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15/06/2009 13:45 (es-ES)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009/6/15 13:45 (zh-CN)

    "G"

    General date/time pattern (long time).

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15/06/2009 13:45:30 (es-ES)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009/6/15 13:45:30 (zh-CN)

    "M", "m"

    Month/day pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> June 15 (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15. juni (da-DK)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15 Juni (id-ID)

    "O", "o"

    Round-trip date/time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009-06-15T13:45:30.0900000

    "R", "r"

    RFC1123 pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:45:30 GMT

    "s"

    Sortable date/time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009-06-15T13:45:30

    "t"

    Short time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 1:45 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 13:45 (hr-HR)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 01:45 م (ar-EG)

    "T"

    Long time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 1:45:30 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 13:45:30 (hr-HR)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 01:45:30 م (ar-EG)

    "u"

    Universal sortable date/time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009-06-15 20:45:30Z

    "U"

    Universal full date/time pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Monday, June 15, 2009 8:45:30 PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> den 15 juni 2009 20:45:30 (sv-SE)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Δευτέρα, 15 Ιουνίου 2009 8:45:30 μμ (el-GR)

    "Y", "y"

    Year month pattern.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> June, 2009 (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> juni 2009 (da-DK)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Juni 2009 (id-ID)

    Any other single character

    Unknown specifier.

    error

    See Standard Date and Time Format Strings on MSDN for more information.

     Custom DateTime Format Strings

    A date and time format string defines the text representation of a DateTime avalue that results from a formatting operation. A custom format string consists of one or more custom date and time format specifiers. Any string that is not a standard data time format string is interpreted as a custom date and time format string.

    The following table describes the custom date and time format specifiers and displays a result string produced by each format specifier.

    Format specifier

    Description

    Examples

    "d"

    The day of the month, from 1 through 31.

    6/1/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 1
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15

    "dd"

    The day of the month, from 01 through 31.

     

    6/1/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 01
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 15

    "ddd"

    The abbreviated name of the day of the week.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Mon (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Пн (ru-RU)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> lun. (fr-FR)

    "dddd"

    The full name of the day of the week.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Monday (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> понедельник (ru-RU)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> lundi (fr-FR)

    "f"

    The tenths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 6
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.050 -> 0

    "ff"

    The hundredths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 61
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.005 -> 00

    "fff"

    The milliseconds in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 617
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0005 -> 000

    "ffff"

    The ten thousandths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.6175 -> 6175
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.00005 -> 0000

    "fffff"

    The hundred thousandths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.61754 -> 61754
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.000005 -> 00000

    "ffffff"

    The millionths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617542 -> 617542
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0000005 -> 000000

    "fffffff"

    The ten millionths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.6175425 -> 6175425
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0001150 -> 0001150

    "F"

    If non-zero, the tenths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 6
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.050 -> (no output)

    "FF"

    If non-zero, the hundredths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 61
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.005 -> (no output)

    "FFF"

    If non-zero, the milliseconds in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617 -> 617
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0005 -> (no output)

    "FFFF"

    If non-zero, the ten thousandths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/1/2009 13:45:30.5275 -> 5275
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.00005 -> (no output)

    "FFFFF"

    If non-zero, the hundred thousandths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.61754 -> 61754
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.000005 -> (no output)

    "FFFFFF"

    If non-zero, the millionths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.617542 -> 617542
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0000005 -> (no output)

    "FFFFFFF"

    If non-zero, the ten millionths of a second in a date and time value.

     

    6/15/2009 13:45:30.6175425 -> 6175425
    6/15/2009 13:45:30.0001150 -> 000115

    "g", "gg"

    The period or era.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> A.D.

    "h"

    The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 0 to 11.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 AM -> 1
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 1

    "hh"

    The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 00 to 11.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 AM -> 01
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 01

    "H"

    The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 0 to 23.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 AM -> 1
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 13

    "HH"

    The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 00 to 23.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 AM -> 01
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 13

    "K"

    Time zone information.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM, Kind Unspecified ->
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM, Kind Utc -> Z
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM, Kind Local -> -07:00

    "m"

    The minute, from 0 through 59.

     

    6/15/2009 1:09:30 AM -> 9
    6/15/2009 1:09:30 PM -> 9

    "mm"

    The minute, from 00 through 59.

     

    6/15/2009 1:09:30 AM -> 09
    6/15/2009 1:09:30 PM -> 09

    "M"

    The month, from 1 through 12.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 6

    "MM"

    The month, from 01 through 12.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 06

    "MMM"

    The abbreviated name of the month.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Jun (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> juin (fr-FR)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> Jun (zu-ZA)

    "MMMM"

    The full name of the month.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> June (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> juni (da-DK)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> uJuni (zu-ZA)

    "s"

    The second, from 0 through 59.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:09 PM -> 9

    "ss"

    The second, from 00 through 59.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:09 PM -> 09

    "t"

    The first character of the AM/PM designator.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> P (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 午 (ja-JP)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> (fr-FR)

    "tt"

    The AM/PM designator.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> PM (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 午後 (ja-JP)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> (fr-FR)

    "y"

    The year, from 0 to 99.

     

    1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM -> 1
    1/1/0900 12:00:00 AM -> 0
    1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM -> 0
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 9

    "yy"

    The year, from 00 to 99.

     

    1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM -> 01
    1/1/0900 12:00:00 AM -> 00
    1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM -> 00
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 09

    "yyy"

    The year, with a minimum of three digits.

     

    1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM -> 001
    1/1/0900 12:00:00 AM -> 900
    1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM -> 1900
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009

    "yyyy"

    The year as a four-digit number.

     

    1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM -> 0001
    1/1/0900 12:00:00 AM -> 0900
    1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM -> 1900
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 2009

    "yyyyy"

    The year as a five-digit number.

     

    1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM -> 00001
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> 02009

    "z"

    Hours offset from UTC, with no leading zeros.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -07:00 -> -7

    "zz"

    Hours offset from UTC, with a leading zero for a single-digit value.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -07:00 -> -07

    "zzz"

    Hours and minutes offset from UTC.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -07:00 -> -07:00

    ":"

    The time separator.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> : (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> . (it-IT)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> : (ja-JP)

    "/"

    The date separator.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> / (en-US)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> - (ar-DZ)
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM -> . (tr-TR)

    "string"

    'string'

    Literal string delimiter.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM ("arr:" h:m t) -> arr: 1:45 P
    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM ('arr:' h:m t) -> arr: 1:45 P

    %

    Defines the following character as a custom format specifier.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM (%h) -> 1

    \

    The escape character.

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 PM (h \h) -> 1 h

    Any other character

    The character is copied to the result string unchanged.

     

    6/15/2009 1:45:30 AM (arr hh:mm t) -> arr 01:45 A

    See Custom Date and Time Format Strings on MSDN for more information.