---
title: "dateFormat"
description: "Returns the given date as a string, formatted according to a pattern."
---

# dateFormat

> Returns the given date as a string, formatted according to a pattern.

**This function is used by Ignition's Expression language.**

## Description

Returns the given date as a string, formatted according to a pattern. The pattern is a format that is full of various placeholders that will display different parts of the date. These are case-sensitive! These placeholders can be repeated for a different effect. For example, M will give you 1-12, MM will give you 01-12, MMM will give you Jan-Dec, MMMM will give you January-December.

Refer to [Data Type Formatting Reference](appendix/reference-pages/data-type-formatting-reference/data-type-formatting-reference.md) for a table of the placeholders.

:::tip Expert Tip
This function uses the Java class [java.text.SimpleDateFormat](https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/17/docs/api/java.base/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html) internally, and will accept any valid format string for that class.
:::

## Syntax

`dateFormat(date, pattern)`

### Parameters

| Type   | Parameter | Description                                                  |
|--------|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Date   | `date`    | The starting date to format.                                 |
| String | `pattern` | The pattern to format the given date.                        |

### Returns

**String** - The given date formatted according to the specified pattern.

## Examples

```python title="Code Snippet"
dateFormat(toDate("2003-9-14 8:00:00"), "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss") //returns the string "2003-09-14 08:00:00" This format is accepted in most databases
```

```python title="Code Snippet"
dateFormat(toDate("2003-9-14 8:00:00"), "yyyy-MM-dd h a") //returns the string "2003-09-14 8 AM"
```

```python title="Code Snippet"
dateFormat(toDate("2003-9-14 8:00:00"), "MMM d, yyyy") //returns the string "Sep 14, 2003"
```

```python title="Code Snippet"
dateFormat(now(), 'yyyy-MM-dd 00:00:00') //returns the current date, but forces the time to 00:00:00
```