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# std::strftime

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | chrono‎ | c

Defined in header `<ctime>` |  |
std::size_t strftime( char* str, std::size_t count, const char* format, std::tm* time ); |  |

Converts the date and time information from a given calendar time `time` to a null-terminated multibyte character string `str` according to format string `format`. Up to `count` bytes are written.

### [edit] Parameters

str | - | pointer to the first element of the char array for output
count | - | maximum number of bytes to write
format | - | pointer to a null-terminated multibyte character string specifying the format of conversion. The format string consists of zero or more conversion specifiers and ordinary characters (except `%`). All ordinary characters, including the terminating null character, are copied to the output string without modification. Each conversion specification begins with `%` character, optionally followed by `E` or `O` modifier (ignored if unsupported by the locale), followed by the character that determines the behavior of the specifier. The following format specifiers are available:
Conversion specifier | Explanation | Used fields
--- | --- | ---
`%` | writes literal `%`. The full conversion specification must be `%%`. |
`n` (C++11) | writes newline character |
`t` (C++11) | writes horizontal tab character |
Year
`Y` | writes year as a 4 digit decimal number | `tm_year`
`EY` (C++11) | writes year in the alternative representation, e.g.平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`
`y` | writes last 2 digits of year as a decimal number (range `[00,99]`) | `tm_year`
`Oy` (C++11) | writes last 2 digits of year using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十一 instead of 11 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`
`Ey` (C++11) | writes year as offset from locale's alternative calendar period `%EC` (locale-dependent) | `tm_year`
`C` (C++11) | writes first 2 digits of year as a decimal number (range `[00,99]`) | `tm_year`
`EC` (C++11) | writes name of the base year (period) in the locale's alternative representation, e.g. 平成 (Heisei era) in ja_JP | `tm_year`
`G` (C++11) | writes ISO 8601 week-based year, i.e. the year that contains the specified week. In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`g` (C++11) | writes last 2 digits of ISO 8601 week-based year, i.e. the year that contains the specified week (range `[00,99]`). In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
Month
`b` | writes abbreviated month name, e.g. `Oct` (locale dependent) | `tm_mon`
`h` (C++11) | synonym of `b` | `tm_mon`
`B` | writes full month name, e.g. `October` (locale dependent) | `tm_mon`
`m` | writes month as a decimal number (range `[01,12]`) | `tm_mon`
`Om` (C++11) | writes month using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十二 instead of 12 in ja_JP locale | `tm_mon`
Week
`U` | writes week of the year as a decimal number (Sunday is the first day of the week) (range `[00,53]`) | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OU` (C++11) | writes week of the year, as by `%U`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`W` | writes week of the year as a decimal number (Monday is the first day of the week) (range `[00,53]`) | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OW` (C++11) | writes week of the year, as by `%W`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`V` (C++11) | writes ISO 8601 week of the year (range `[01,53]`). In IS0 8601 weeks begin with Monday and the first week of the year must satisfy the following requirements: Includes January 4 Includes first Thursday of the year | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
`OV` (C++11) | writes week of the year, as by `%V`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 五十二 instead of 52 in ja_JP locale | `tm_year`, `tm_wday`, `tm_yday`
Day of the year/month
`j` | writes day of the year as a decimal number (range `[001,366]`) | `tm_yday`
`d` | writes day of the month as a decimal number (range `[01,31]`) | `tm_mday`
`Od` (C++11) | writes zero-based day of the month using the alternative numeric system, e.g 二十七 instead of 23 in ja_JP locale Single character is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
`e` (C++11) | writes day of the month as a decimal number (range `[1,31]`). Single digit is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
`Oe` (C++11) | writes one-based day of the month using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十七 instead of 27 in ja_JP locale Single character is preceded by a space. | `tm_mday`
Day of the week
`a` | writes abbreviated weekday name, e.g. `Fri` (locale dependent) | `tm_wday`
`A` | writes full weekday name, e.g. `Friday` (locale dependent) | `tm_wday`
`w` | writes weekday as a decimal number, where Sunday is `0` (range `[0-6]`) | `tm_wday`
`Ow` (C++11) | writes weekday, where Sunday is `0`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二 instead of 2 in ja_JP locale | `tm_wday`
`u` (C++11) | writes weekday as a decimal number, where Monday is `1` (ISO 8601 format) (range `[1-7]`) | `tm_wday`
`Ou` (C++11) | writes weekday, where Monday is `1`, using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二 instead of 2 in ja_JP locale | `tm_wday`
Hour, minute, second
`H` | writes hour as a decimal number, 24 hour clock (range `[00-23]`) | `tm_hour`
`OH` (C++11) | writes hour from 24-hour clock using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 十八 instead of 18 in ja_JP locale | `tm_hour`
`I` | writes hour as a decimal number, 12 hour clock (range `[01,12]`) | `tm_hour`
`OI` (C++11) | writes hour from 12-hour clock using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 六 instead of 06 in ja_JP locale | `tm_hour`
`M` | writes minute as a decimal number (range `[00,59]`) | `tm_min`
`OM` (C++11) | writes minute using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十五 instead of 25 in ja_JP locale | `tm_min`
`S` | writes second as a decimal number (range `[00,60]`) | `tm_sec`
`OS` (C++11) | writes second using the alternative numeric system, e.g. 二十四 instead of 24 in ja_JP locale | `tm_sec`
Other
`c` | writes standard date and time string, e.g. `Sun Oct 17 04:41:13 2010` (locale dependent) | all
`Ec` (C++11) | writes alternative date and time string, e.g. using 平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | all
`x` | writes localized date representation (locale dependent) | all
`Ex` (C++11) | writes alternative date representation, e.g. using 平成23年 (year Heisei 23) instead of 2011年 (year 2011) in ja_JP locale | all
`X` | writes localized time representation (locale dependent) | all
`EX` (C++11) | writes alternative time representation (locale dependent) | all
`D` (C++11) | equivalent to "%m/%d/%y" | `tm_mon`, `tm_mday`, `tm_year`
`F` (C++11) | equivalent to "%Y-%m-%d" (the ISO 8601 date format) | `tm_mon`, `tm_mday`, `tm_year`
`r` (C++11) | writes localized 12-hour clock time (locale dependent) | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`, `tm_sec`
`R` (C++11) | equivalent to "%H:%M" | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`
`T` (C++11) | equivalent to "%H:%M:%S" (the ISO 8601 time format) | `tm_hour`, `tm_min`, `tm_sec`
`p` | writes localized a.m. or p.m. (locale dependent) | `tm_hour`
`z` (C++11) | writes offset from UTC in the ISO 8601 format (e.g. `-0430`), or no characters if the time zone information is not available | `tm_isdst`
`Z` | writes time zone name or abbreviation, or no characters if the time zone information is not available (locale dependent) | `tm_isdst`

### [edit] Return value

The number of bytes written into the character array pointed to by `str` not including the terminating '\0' on success. If `count` was reached before the entire string could be stored, ​0​ is returned and the contents are undefined.

### [edit] Example

Run this code

    #include <ctime>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <locale>

    int main()
    {
        std::locale::global(std::locale("ja_JP.utf8"));
        std::time_t t = std::time(NULL);
        char mbstr[100];
        if (std::strftime(mbstr, 100, "%A %c", std::localtime(&t))) {
            std::cout << mbstr << '\n';
        }
    }

Output:

    火曜日 2011年12月27日 17時39分03秒

### [edit] See also

asctime | converts a `tm` object to a textual representation (function) [edit]
ctime | converts a `time_t` object to a textual representation (function) [edit]
wcsftime | converts a tm object to custom wide string textual representation (function) [edit]
put_time (C++11) | formats and outputs a date/time value according to the specified format (function template) [edit]
C documentation for strftime

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