Python: Calculate two date difference in seconds

Python Datetime: Exercise-36 with Solution

Write a Python program to calculate the difference between two dates in seconds.

Sample Solution:

Python Code:

# Import the datetime and time classes from datetime module
from datetime import datetime, time
# Define a function called date_diff_in_Seconds which calculates the difference in seconds between two datetime objects
def date_diff_in_Seconds(dt2, dt1):
    # Calculate the time difference between dt2 and dt1
    timedelta = dt2 - dt1
    # Return the total time difference in seconds
    return timedelta.days * 24 * 3600 + timedelta.seconds

# Specified date: January 1, 2015, at 01:00:00
date1 = datetime.strptime('2015-01-01 01:00:00', '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
# Current date and time
date2 = datetime.now()

# Print the time difference in seconds between the current date and the specified date
print("\n%d seconds" %(date_diff_in_Seconds(date2, date1)))
# Print an empty line
print()

Output:

74175795 seconds

Explanation:

In the exercise above,

• The code imports the "datetime" and "time" classes from the "datetime" module. which are necessary for working with date and time objects.
• It defines a function named "date_diff_in_Seconds()" which calculates the difference in seconds between two "datetime" objects.
• • Inside the function:
• It calculates the time difference (timedelta) between 'dt2' and 'dt1' using simple subtraction.
• It converts the time difference into seconds by multiplying the number of days by 24 hours and then by 3600 seconds, and adding the number of seconds in the "timedelta".
• It defines 'date1' as a specified date, January 1, 2015, at 01:00:00, using the "strptime()" function to parse the string into a "datetime" object.
• It defines 'date2' as the current date and time using the "datetime.now()" function.
• It prints the time difference in seconds between 'date2' and 'date1'.

Flowchart:

Python Code Editor:

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