# How do I set a datetime field to "now"

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-set-a-datetime-field-to-now/120857>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 21, 2007, 7:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-set-a-datetime-field-to-now/120857 "2007-11-21T07:33:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nozavroni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@nozavroni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nozavroni)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 7:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-set-a-datetime-field-to-now/120857/1 "2007-11-21T07:33:38Z")

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In my controller I have a model called Todo. It has a column called  
date\_completed that is null by default, and when the todo is “done” this  
date is filled out. How do I set the date to “now” on the model?

I tried this:

@todo.date\_completed = DateTime.now

but that didn’t work.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nozavroni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@nozavroni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nozavroni)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 8:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-set-a-datetime-field-to-now/120857/2 "2007-11-21T08:03:13Z")

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On Nov 21, 2007, at 12:33 AM, Luke Visinoni wrote:

> I tried this:
> 
> @todo.date\_completed = DateTime.now
> 
> but that didn’t work.

Time.now will work.