The Javascript Date object sports a large set of built-in methods for writing code that can get, set, calculate and render dates and times. Date objects should be created using the new operator in order to return actual date objects instead of strings.
Formats for establishing dates and times
Establish a date object representing the always current local date and time:
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var today = new Date();
document.write(today);
Acceptable formats for establishing date objects that represent a specific date and time in the past or future. The examples below all target Christmas 2012, with the time of day being set to 6:30 AM where specified.
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var xmas = new Date("Dec 25, 2012");
var xmas = new Date("December 25, 2012");
var xmas = new Date("12/25/2012");
var xmas = new Date("2012,12,25");
var xmas = new Date(2012,11,25);
var xmas = new Date("December 25, 2012 06:30:00");
var xmas = new Date("12/25/2012 06:30:00");
var xmas = new Date("2012,12,25,06:30:00");
var xmas = new Date(2012,11,25,6,30,0);
var xmas = new Date(1356411600000);
Methods of the Date Object
Local - local time zone in relation to where the user is located in the world.
UTC(coordinated universal time) - the world's time standard for regulating clocks and time.
• getDate - returns local date of the month for a date object (1 - 31)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getDate();
• getDay - returns local day of the week as 0 - 6 (0 = sunday, 1 = monday, etc...)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getDay();
• getFullYear - returns local full year for a date object
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getFullYear();
• getHours - returns the local hours for a date object (0 - 23)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getHours();
• getMilliseconds - returns local milliseconds for a date object (0 - 999)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getMilliseconds();
• getMinutes - returns local minutes for a date object (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getMinutes();
• getMonth - returns local month for a date object (0 - 11)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getMonth();
• getSeconds - returns local seconds for a date object (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getSeconds();
• getTime - returns local total milliseconds for the date object referenced from Jan 1, 1970
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getTime();
• getTimezoneOffset - returns local timezone offset from universal time, in minutes
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getTimezoneOffset();
• getUTCDate - returns date of the month according to UTC (1 - 31)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCDate();
• getUTCDay - returns day of the week according to UTC (0 - 6)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCDay();
• getUTCFullYear - returns full year for a date object according to UTC
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCFullYear();
• getUTCHours - returns hours for a date object according to UTC (0 - 23)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCHours();
• getUTCMilliseconds - returns milliseconds for a date object according to UTC (0 - 999)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCMilliseconds();
• getUTCMinutes - returns minutes for a date object according to UTC (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCMinutes();
• getUTCMonth - returns month for a date object according to UTC (0 - 11)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCMonth();
• getUTCSeconds - returns seconds for a date object according to UTC (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.getUTCSeconds();
• setDate - sets local date of the month for a date object (1 - 31)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date("April 23, 2012");
myDate.setDate(29); // changes from April 23 to April 29
• setFullYear - sets local full year for a date object
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setFullYear(1986);
• setHours - sets local hours for a date object (0 - 23)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setHours(17);
• setMilliseconds - sets local milliseconds of a date object (0 - 999)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setMilliseconds(500);
• setMinutes - sets local minutes for a date object (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setMinutes(40);
• setMonth - sets local month for a date object (0 - 11)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setMonth(0); // January
• setSeconds - sets local seconds for a date object (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setSeconds(30);
• setTime - sets total milliseconds for the date object referenced from Jan 1, 1970
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setTime(1356411600000); // xmas 2012
• setUTCDate - sets month for a date object according to UTC (1 - 31)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCDate(10);
• setUTCFullYear - sets full year for a date object according to UTC
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCFullYear(2000);
• setUTCHours - sets hours for a date object according to UTC (0 - 23)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCHours(18);
• setUTCMilliseconds - sets milliseconds for a date object according to UTC (0 - 999)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCMilliseconds(250);
• setUTCMinutes - sets minutes for a date object according to UTC (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCMinutes(45);
• setUTCMonth - sets month for a date object according to UTC (0 - 11)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCMonth(11);
• setUTCSeconds - sets seconds for a date object according to UTC (0 - 59)
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
myDate.setUTCSeconds(30);
• toDateString - returns a human readable date portion of a date object, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toDateString();
• toISOString - returns a date string in ISO format
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toISOString();
• toLocaleDateString - returns a human readable local date only, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toLocaleDateString();
• toLocaleString - returns a human readable local full date and time, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toLocaleString();
• toLocaleTimeString - returns local time only, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toLocaleTimeString();
• toString - converts a date object to a string object
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toString();
• toTimeString - returns local time and timezone without the date portion, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toTimeString();
• toUTCString - returns universal date and time, as a string
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.toUTCString();
• valueOf - returns the primitive millisecond value of a date object
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
var result = myDate.valueOf();
Properties of the Date Object
• constructor - returns the constructor function used for the object
Javascript CODE EXAMPLE
var myDate = new Date();
document.write(myDate.constructor);
Tutorials On File Covering Date Object Usage
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