EpochLab

Date Formatter

Format a date any way you need it

One date, every common output at once — ISO, RFC, SQL, filename-safe, spoken English — plus a pattern field for anything the list does not cover.

Questions people ask

The things that come up about date formatters, answered plainly.

Which date format should I use?

ISO 8601 — 2024-07-16 — for anything stored, sorted or transmitted. It sorts correctly as text, has no regional ambiguity, and is the only format where 03/04 cannot mean two different days.

What is a filename-safe date?

One with no colons or slashes, since both are illegal or awkward in filenames: 20240716T160000Z. It also sorts chronologically in a directory listing, which is the main reason to use it.

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Render an instant in any pattern or locale, and read one back out of text.

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