Converting different date time formats to MM/DD/YYYY format in pandas dataframe

Question

I have a date column in a pandas.DataFrame in various date time formats and stored as list object, like the following:

            date
1    [May 23rd, 2011]         


        

Answer 1

Provided code will work for following scenarios.

• Change date format from M/D/YY to MM/DD/YY (5/2/2009 to 05/02/2009)
• change form ANY FORMAT to MM/DD/YY

import pandas as pd

'''
       * checking provided input file date format correct or not
       * if format is correct change date format from M/D/YY to MM/DD/YY
       * else date format is not correct in input file
         Date format  change form ANY FORMAT to MM/DD/YY
  '''
input_file_name = 'C:/Users/Admin/Desktop/SarenderReddy/predictions.csv'
dest_file_name = 'C:/Users/Admin/Desktop/SarenderReddy/Enrich.csv'
#input_file_name = 'C:/Users/Admin/Desktop/SarenderReddy/enrichment.csv'
read_data = pd.read_csv(input_file_name)
print(pd.to_datetime(read_data['Date'], format='%m/%d/%Y', errors='coerce').notnull().all())

if pd.to_datetime(read_data['Date'], format='%m/%d/%Y', errors='coerce').notnull().all():
    print("Provided correct input date format in input file....!")
    read_data['Date'] = pd.to_datetime(read_data['Date'],format='%m/%d/%Y')
    read_data['Date'] = read_data['Date'].dt.strftime('%m/%d/%Y')
    read_data.to_csv(dest_file_name,index=False)
    print(read_data['Date'])
else:
    print("NOT... Provided correct input date format in input file....!")
    data_format = pd.read_csv(input_file_name,parse_dates=['Date'], dayfirst=True)
    #print(df['Date'])
    data_format['Date'] = pd.to_datetime(data_format['Date'],format='%m/%d/%Y')
    data_format['Date'] = data_format['Date'].dt.strftime('%m/%d/%Y')
    data_format.to_csv(dest_file_name,index=False)
    print(data_format['Date'])

Answer 2

It would be better if you use this it'll give you the date format in MM-DD-YYYY the you can apply strftime:

df['Date_ColumnName'] = pd.to_datetime(df['Date_ColumnName'], dayfirst = False, yearfirst = False)

Answer 3

Given your sample data, with the addition of a NaT, this works:

Code:

df.date.apply(lambda x: pd.to_datetime(x).strftime('%m/%d/%Y')[0])

Test Code:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame([
    [['']],
    [['May 23rd, 2011']],
    [['January 1st, 2010']],
    [['Apr. 15, 2008']],
    [['07-11-2013']],
    [['9/01/1995']],
    [['04/15/2000']],
    [['11/22/68']],
    [['12/1997']],
    [['08/2002']],
    [['2014']],
    [['2016']],
], columns=['date'])

df['clean_date'] = df.date.apply(
    lambda x: pd.to_datetime(x).strftime('%m/%d/%Y')[0])

print(df)

Results:

                   date  clean_date
0                    []         NaT
1      [May 23rd, 2011]  05/23/2011
2   [January 1st, 2010]  01/01/2010
3       [Apr. 15, 2008]  04/15/2008
4          [07-11-2013]  07/11/2013
5           [9/01/1995]  09/01/1995
6          [04/15/2000]  04/15/2000
7            [11/22/68]  11/22/1968
8             [12/1997]  12/01/1997
9             [08/2002]  08/01/2002
10               [2014]  01/01/2014
11               [2016]  01/01/2016