datetime
========

``datetime`` provides tools for managing and manipulating dates and times. It saves you time because you don’t have to write all that code yourself.

Example 1 - Displaying the Current Date and Time
------------------------------------------------

.. code-block:: python
    :linenos:

    import datetime

    currentTime = datetime.datetime.now()

    print(currentTime)

.. dropdown:: Show Output

    2025-10-14 18:43:53.778399

    .. admonition:: Explanation

        The second line gets the current date and time from your computer’s clock.
        
        ``datetime.datetime`` refers to a class inside the ``datetime`` module. ``.now()`` is a method that returns the current local date and time. 
        
        The result is stored in a variable called ``currentTime``.

Example 2 - Formatting the Current Date and Time
------------------------------------------------

.. code-block:: python
    :linenos:

    import datetime

    currentTime = datetime.datetime.now()

    formattedTime = currentTime.strftime("%d/%m/%Y %H:%M")

    print(formattedTime)

.. dropdown:: Show Output

    14/10/2025 19:00

    .. admonition:: Explanation

        The fifth line formats the date and time to make it easier to read. 
        
        ``.strftime()`` changes the format into a string.

        The symbols inside the brackets tell Python how to display the date and time:

        +--------+-----------------------+
        |  Code  |        Meaning        |
        +========+=======================+
        | ``%d`` |   Day (two digits)    |
        +--------+-----------------------+
        | ``%m`` |  Month (two digits)   |
        +--------+-----------------------+
        | ``%Y`` |  Year (four digits)   |
        +--------+-----------------------+
        | ``%H`` | Hour (24-hour format) |
        +--------+-----------------------+
        | ``%M`` |        Minute         |
        +--------+-----------------------+