PHP strftime() Function

Example

Format local date and time according to locale settings:

<?php
echo(strftime("%B %d %Y, %X %Z",mktime(20,0,0,12,31,98))."<br>");
setlocale(LC_ALL,"hu_HU.UTF8");
echo(strftime("%Y. %B %d. %A. %X %Z"));
?>

Try it Yourself »

Definition and Usage

The strftime() function formats a local time and/or date according to locale settings.

Tip: Also look at the gmstrftime() function, which formats a GMT/UTC time and/or date according to locale settings.

Syntax

strftime(format, timestamp)

Parameter Values

Parameter	Description
format	Required. Specifies how to return the result: %a - abbreviated weekday name %A - full weekday name %b - abbreviated month name %B - full month name %c - preferred date and time representation %C - century number (the year divided by 100, range 00 to 99) %d - day of the month (01 to 31) %D - same as %m/%d/%y %e - day of the month (1 to 31) %g - like %G, but without the century %G - 4-digit year corresponding to the ISO week number (see %V). %h - same as %b %H - hour, using a 24-hour clock (00 to 23) %I - hour, using a 12-hour clock (01 to 12) %j - day of the year (001 to 366) %m - month (01 to 12) %M - minute %n - newline character %p - either am or pm according to the given time value %r - time in a.m. and p.m. notation %R - time in 24 hour notation %S - second %t - tab character %T - current time, equal to %H:%M:%S %u - weekday as a number (1 to 7), Monday=1. Warning: In Sun Solaris Sunday=1 %U - week number of the current year, starting with the first Sunday as the first day of the first week %V - The ISO 8601 week number of the current year (01 to 53), where week 1 is the first week that has at least 4 days in the current year, and with Monday as the first day of the week %W - week number of the current year, starting with the first Monday as the first day of the first week %w - day of the week as a decimal, Sunday=0 %x - preferred date representation without the time %X - preferred time representation without the date %y - year without a century (range 00 to 99) %Y - year including the century %Z or %z - time zone or name or abbreviation %% - a literal % character
timestamp	Optional. Specifies a Unix timestamp that represents the date and/or time to be formatted. Default is the current local time (time())

Parameter

Description

format

Required. Specifies how to return the result:

%a - abbreviated weekday name
%A - full weekday name
%b - abbreviated month name
%B - full month name
%c - preferred date and time representation
%C - century number (the year divided by 100, range 00 to 99)
%d - day of the month (01 to 31)
%D - same as %m/%d/%y
%e - day of the month (1 to 31)
%g - like %G, but without the century
%G - 4-digit year corresponding to the ISO week number (see %V).
%h - same as %b
%H - hour, using a 24-hour clock (00 to 23)
%I - hour, using a 12-hour clock (01 to 12)
%j - day of the year (001 to 366)
%m - month (01 to 12)
%M - minute
%n - newline character
%p - either am or pm according to the given time value
%r - time in a.m. and p.m. notation
%R - time in 24 hour notation
%S - second
%t - tab character
%T - current time, equal to %H:%M:%S
%u - weekday as a number (1 to 7), Monday=1. Warning: In Sun Solaris Sunday=1
%U - week number of the current year, starting with the first Sunday as the first day of the first week
%V - The ISO 8601 week number of the current year (01 to 53), where week 1 is the first week that has at least 4 days in the current year, and with Monday as the first day of the week
%W - week number of the current year, starting with the first Monday as the first day of the first week
%w - day of the week as a decimal, Sunday=0
%x - preferred date representation without the time
%X - preferred time representation without the date
%y - year without a century (range 00 to 99)
%Y - year including the century
%Z or %z - time zone or name or abbreviation
%% - a literal % character

timestamp

Optional. Specifies a Unix timestamp that represents the date and/or time to be formatted. Default is the current local time (time())

Technical Details

Return Value:	Returns a string formatted according format using the given timestamp. Month and weekday names and other language-dependent strings respect the current locale set with setlocale()
PHP Version:	4+
PHP Changelog:	PHP 5.1: Now issues E_STRICT and E_NOTICE time zone errors

❮ PHP Date/Time Reference