--- title: "UnixTime" language: "en" type: "Symbol" summary: "UnixTime[] gives the total number of seconds since the beginning of January 1, 1970, in the GMT time zone. UnixTime[{y, m, d, h, m, s}] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a date list. UnixTime[date] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a DateObject. UnixTime[string] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a date string. UnixTime[{ string, {SubscriptBox[e, 1], SubscriptBox[e, 2], ...}}] takes the date string to contain the elements SubscriptBox[e, i]." keywords: - unixtime - date - time - Unix canonical_url: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/UnixTime.html" source: "Wolfram Language Documentation" related_guides: - title: "External Operations" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ExternalOperations.en.md" - title: "Date & Time" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/DateAndTime.en.md" related_tutorials: - title: "Date and Time Functions" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/GlobalAspectsOfWolframSystemSessions.en.md#28650" - title: "Global System Information" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/GlobalAspectsOfWolframSystemSessions.en.md#25706" --- # UnixTime UnixTime[] gives the total number of seconds since the beginning of January 1, 1970, in the GMT time zone. UnixTime[{y,m,d,h,m,s}] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a date list. UnixTime[date] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a DateObject. UnixTime["string"] gives the Unix time specification corresponding to a date string. UnixTime[{"string",{"Subscript[e, 1]","Subscript[e, 2]",\[Ellipsis]}}] takes the date string to contain the elements "Subscript[e, i]". ## Details * ``UnixTime[]`` returns the number of seconds that have elapsed since {1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0.} Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), not counting leap seconds. * ``UnixTime[time]`` assumes that the given ``time`` is in ``\$TimeZone``, unless it is a ``DateObject`` or ``TimeObject`` with an explicit ``TimeZone`` option value. * ``UnixTime[]`` returns the nearest whole second, down to a granularity of ``\$TimeUnit`` seconds. * Shorter lists can be used in ``UnixTime[{y, m, …}]``: ``{y}`` is equivalent to ``{y, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0}``, ``{y, m}`` to ``{y, m, 1, 0, 0, 0}``, etc. * Values of ``m``, ``d``, ``h``, ``m``, ``s`` outside their normal ranges are appropriately reduced. Noninteger values of ``d``, ``h``, ``m``, ``s`` can also be used. ## Examples (11) ### Basic Examples (3) Unix time in seconds since January 1, 1970: ```wl In[1]:= UnixTime[] Out[1]= 1423155963 ``` --- Convert from a date object to Unix time: ```wl In[1]:= UnixTime[DateObject[{2014, 12, 18, 10}, "Hour", "Gregorian", -4.]] Out[1]= 1418911200 In[2]:= UnixTime[DateObject[{2007, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0.}, "Instant", "Gregorian", 0.]] Out[2]= 1167609600 ``` --- Convert from a date string to Unix time: ```wl In[1]:= DateString[] Out[1]= "Tue 26 May 2015 18:07:21" In[2]:= UnixTime[%] Out[2]= 1432678041 ``` ### Scope (6) Inputs are assumed to be in ``\$TimeZone``. ``Block`` can be used to specify a different input time zone: ```wl In[1]:= $TimeZone Out[1]= -4. In[2]:= UnixTime["2006-12-1"] Out[2]= 1164945600 In[3]:= Block[{$TimeZone = 0}, UnixTime["2006-12-1"]] Out[3]= 1164931200 ``` --- ``DateObject`` expressions can include their own ``TimeZone`` specification: ```wl In[1]:= UnixTime[DateObject[{2015, 2, 19, 11, 0, 0}, TimeZone -> 0]] Out[1]= 1424343600 In[2]:= UnixTime[DateObject[{2015, 2, 19, 11, 0, 0}, TimeZone -> -5]] Out[2]= 1424361600 ``` --- Separators are assumed if not specified: ```wl In[1]:= Block[{$TimeZone = -5}, UnixTime[{"2/23/2007", {"Month", "Day", "Year"}}]] Out[1]= 1172206800 ``` Give explicit separators: ```wl In[2]:= Block[{$TimeZone = -5}, UnixTime[{"2/23/2007", {"Month", "/", "Day", "/", "Year"}}]] Out[2]= 1172206800 ``` --- Date lists are converted to standard normalized form: ```wl In[1]:= Block[{$TimeZone = 2}, UnixTime[{2006, 2, 31}]] Out[1]= 1141336800 In[2]:= Block[{$TimeZone = 2}, UnixTime[{2006, 3, 3}]] Out[2]= 1141336800 ``` --- Day, hour, minute, and second values in input date lists can be noninteger: ```wl In[1]:= Block[{$TimeZone = -7}, UnixTime[{2007, 3, 15.5}]] Out[1]= 1173985200 In[2]:= Block[{$TimeZone = -7}, UnixTime[{2007, 3, 15, 12.3}]] Out[2]= 1173986280 ``` --- The current year is used if not specified in a string: ```wl In[1]:= Block[{$TimeZone = 4}, UnixTime[{"2/15", {"Month", "Day"}}]] Out[1]= 1423944000 ``` ### Properties & Relations (2) ``UnixTime`` converts a date specification into Unix time form: ```wl In[1]:= UnixTime[Now] Out[1]= 1484764416 ``` ``FromUnixTime`` converts back into a ``DateObject`` expression: ```wl In[2]:= FromUnixTime[%] Out[2]= DateObject[{2017, 1, 18, 12, 33, 36.}, "Instant", "Gregorian", -6.] ``` --- Compute the number of seconds between January 1, 1900, and January 1, 1970: ```wl In[1]:= Block[{$TimeZone = 0}, Abs[UnixTime[{1900, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0}]]] Out[1]= 2208988800 ``` ## See Also * [`FromUnixTime`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FromUnixTime.en.md) * [`AbsoluteTime`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AbsoluteTime.en.md) * [`DateList`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DateList.en.md) * [`DateString`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DateString.en.md) * [`DateObject`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DateObject.en.md) * [`JulianDate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/JulianDate.en.md) * [`FromJulianDate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FromJulianDate.en.md) * [`DateValue`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DateValue.en.md) * [`Now`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Now.en.md) * [`SessionTime`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SessionTime.en.md) * [`TimeUsed`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/TimeUsed.en.md) * [`Clock`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Clock.en.md) * [`AbsoluteTiming`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AbsoluteTiming.en.md) * [`Timing`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Timing.en.md) * [`\$TimeZone`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$TimeZone.en.md) * [`\$TimeUnit`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$TimeUnit.en.md) * [`FileDate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileDate.en.md) * [`UnixTime`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/interpreter/UnixTime.en.md) * [`Time`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/interpreter/Time.en.md) ## Tech Notes * [Date and Time Functions](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/GlobalAspectsOfWolframSystemSessions.en.md#28650) * [Global System Information](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/GlobalAspectsOfWolframSystemSessions.en.md#25706) ## Related Guides * [External Operations](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ExternalOperations.en.md) * [Date & Time](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/DateAndTime.en.md) ## History * [Introduced in 2015 (10.1)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn101.en.md)