# How can I get the date in UK format: 11th January 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662 "2008-01-11T01:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/1 "2008-01-11T01:29:32Z")
This sounds trivial but it’s annoying me. The UK format for a full date would be Friday 11th January 2008 or 11th January 2008. However, date.to\_s(:long) gives “January 11, 2008” Is there a way to get different dates out from it? Cheers Theo ---
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/2 "2008-01-11T01:48:53Z")
> This sounds trivial but it’s annoying me. > > The UK format for a full date would be Friday 11th January 2008 or 11th > January 2008. > > However, date.to\_s(:long) gives “January 11, 2008” > > Is there a way to get different dates out from it? See the strftime method. I believe there is a way to add formats into Rails “to\_s” extension as well, but you’d have to look into that. See ActiveSupport::CoreExtensions::Time::Conversions for more info. time.strftime( string ) =\> string Formats time according to the directives in the given format string. Any text not listed as a directive will be passed through to the output string. Format meaning: %a - The abbreviated weekday name (`Sun'') %A - The full weekday name (`Sunday’’) %b - The abbreviated month name (`Jan'') %B - The full month name (`January’’) %c - The preferred local date and time representation %d - Day of the month (01…31) %H - Hour of the day, 24-hour clock (00…23) %I - Hour of the day, 12-hour clock (01…12) %j - Day of the year (001…366) %m - Month of the year (01…12) %M - Minute of the hour (00…59) %p - Meridian indicator (`AM'' or`PM’’) %S - Second of the minute (00…60) %U - Week number of the current year, starting with the first Sunday as the first day of the first week (00…53) %W - Week number of the current year, starting with the first Monday as the first day of the first week (00…53) %w - Day of the week (Sunday is 0, 0…6) %x - Preferred representation for the date alone, no time %X - Preferred representation for the time alone, no date %y - Year without a century (00…99) %Y - Year with century %Z - Time zone name %% - Literal ``%’’ character ``` t = Time.now t.strftime("Printed on %m/%d/%Y") #=> "Printed on 04/09/2003" t.strftime("at %I:%M%p") #=> "at 08:56A ``` ---
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/3 "2008-01-11T01:52:59Z")
To get the 11th you’ll need to use Inflector.ordinalize. t = Time.now t.strftime(“%A”) + Inflector.ordinalize(t.strftime(“%d”)) + " " + t.strftime(“%B %Y”) On Jan 11, 2008 1:37 PM, Philip H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > See the strftime method. I believe there is a way to add formats into > Format meaning: > %m - Month of the year (01…12) > %x - Preferred representation for the date alone, no time > > > – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale! Feel free to add me to MSN and/or GTalk as this email. ---
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/4 "2008-01-11T08:56:06Z")
Cheers to both of you! I’ll give this a try 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/5 "2008-01-14T16:48:03Z")
Okay, I looked about and I just need to put this sort of thing in the environment.rb file: ActiveSupport::CoreExtensions::Time::Conversions::DATE\_FORMATS.merge!( :uk\_long =\> lambda { |time| time.strftime("%A #{time.day.ordinalize} %B %Y") } ) The long\_ordinal format already puts the ‘th’ or whatever after the day so I just altered the code in the API for that version. Cheers Theo ---
**Author:** ![theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@theogb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/theogb)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-i-get-the-date-in-uk-format-11th-january-2008/125662/6 "2008-01-15T10:55:26Z")
Theo Graham-brown wrote: > Okay, > > I looked about and I just need to put this sort of thing in the > environment.rb file: > > ActiveSupport::CoreExtensions::Time::Conversions::DATE\_FORMATS.merge!( > :uk\_long =\> lambda { |time| time.strftime("%A #{time.day.ordinalize} > %B %Y") } > ) > > The long\_ordinal format already puts the ‘th’ or whatever after the day > so I just altered the code in the API for that version. > > Cheers > Theo Actually that solution didn’t work, but Ryan’s did. I’ll have to investigate further at some point.