Lesson 16: Formatting Date and Time
16.1 Formatting Date and time using predefined formats
Date and time can be formatted
using predefined formats and also user-defined formats. The predefined formats
of date and time are shown in Table 16.1.
Table 16.1 Predefined formats of
date and time
|
Format |
Explanation |
|
Format (Now, "General date") |
Formats the current date
and time. |
|
Format (Now, "Long Date") |
Displays the current date
in long format. |
|
Format (Now, "Short date") |
Displays current date in
short format |
|
Format (Now, "Long Time") |
Display the current time
in long format. |
|
Format (Now, "Short Time") |
Display the current time
in short format. |
* Instead of "General date", you can also use the
abbreviated format "G" , i.e. Format (Now, "G"). And for "Long
Time", you can use the abbreviated format "T". As for "Short Time", you
may use the abbreviated format "t"
Example 16.1
Private Sub
Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
Handles Button1.Click
Label1.Text = Format(Now, "General Date")
Label2.Text = Format(Now, "Long Date")
Label3.Text = Format(Now, "short Date")
Label4.Text = Format(Now, "Long Time")
Label5.Text = Format(Now, "Short Time")
End Sub<
The output is shown in the diagram below:
Figure 16.1
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16.2 Formatting Date and
time using user-defined formats
Beside using the predefined formats, you can also
use the user-defined formatting functions. The general format of a user-defined for date/time is
Format (expression,style)
Table 16.2 Some of the
user-defined format functions for
date and time
|
Format |
Explanation |
|
Format (Now, "M") |
Displays current
month and date |
|
Format (Now, "MM") |
Displays current month in
double digits. |
|
Format (Now, "MMM") |
Displays abbreviated name
of the current month |
|
Format (Now, "MMMM") |
Displays full name of the
current month. |
|
Format (Now, "dd/MM/yyyy") |
Displays current date in
the day/month/year format. |
|
Format (Now, "MMM,d,yyyy") |
Displays current date in
the
Month, Day, Year Format |
|
Format (Now, "h:mm:ss tt") |
Dispalys current
time in hour:minute:second format and show am/pm |
|
Format (Now, "MM/dd/yyyy h:mm:ss) |
Dispalys current date and time in
hour:minute:second format |
Example 16.2
Private
Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
Handles Button1.Click, Button2.Click, Button3.Click/p>
Label1.Text = Format(Now, "M")
Label2.Text = Format(Now, "MM")
Label3.Text = Format(Now, "MMM")
Label4.Text = Format(Now, "MMMM")
Label5.Text = Format(Now, "dd/MM/yyyy")
Label6.Text = Format(Now, "MMM,d,yyyy")
Label7.Text = Format(Now, "h:mm:ss tt")
Label8.Text = Format(Now, "MM/dd/yyyy h:mm:ss tt")
End Sub
The output
is shown in the Figure 16.2 below:
Figure 16.2
properties window at design time or at runtime.
