Python | Pandas.to_datetime()

When a csv file is imported and a Data Frame is made, the Date time objects in the file are read as a string object rather a Date Time object and Hence it’s very tough to perform operations like Time difference on a string rather a Date Time object. Pandas to_datetime() method helps to convert string Date time into Python Date time object.

Syntax: pandas.to_datetime(arg, errors=’raise’, dayfirst=False, yearfirst=False, utc=None, box=True, format=None, exact=True, unit=None, infer_datetime_format=False, origin=’unix’, cache=False)

Parameters:

1. arg: An integer, string, float, list or dict object to convert in to Date time object.
2. dayfirst: Boolean value, places day first if True.
3. yearfirst: Boolean value, places year first if True.
4. utc: Boolean value, Returns time in UTC if True.
5. format: String input to tell position of day, month and year.

Return type:

For link of the CSV file used, click here.

Example #1:

String to Date In the following example, a csv file is read and the date column of Data frame is converted into Date Time object from a string object.

# importing pandas package
import pandas as pd

# making data frame from csv file
data = pd.read_csv("todatetime.csv")

# overwriting data after changing format
data["Date"]= pd.to_datetime(data["Date"])

# info of data
data.info()

# display
data