`into datetime` for conversions

Convert text or timestamp into a datetime.

Signature

> into datetime {flags} ...rest

Flags

--timezone, -z {string}: Specify timezone to interpret timestamps and formatted datetime input. Valid options: 'UTC' ('u') or 'LOCAL' ('l').
--offset, -o {int}: Specify timezone by offset from UTC to interpret timestamps and formatted datetime input, like '+8', '-4'.
--format, -f {string}: Specify expected format of INPUT string to parse to datetime. Use --list to see options.
--list, -l: Show all possible variables for use in --format flag.

Parameters

...rest: For a data structure input, convert data at the given cell paths.

Input/output types:

input	output
datetime	datetime
int	datetime
string	datetime
list<string>	list<datetime>
table	table
nothing	table
record	record
record	datetime
any	table

Examples

Convert timestamp string to datetime with timezone offset.

> '27.02.2021 1:55 pm +0000' | into datetime
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:00 +0000 (5 years ago)

Convert standard timestamp string to datetime with timezone offset.

> '2021-02-27T13:55:40.2246+00:00' | into datetime
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:40 +0000 (5 years ago)

Convert non-standard timestamp string, with timezone offset, to datetime using a custom format.

> '20210227_135540+0000' | into datetime --format '%Y%m%d_%H%M%S%z'
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:40 +0000 (5 years ago)

Convert non-standard timestamp string, without timezone offset, to datetime with custom formatting.

> '16.11.1984 8:00 am' | into datetime --format '%d.%m.%Y %H:%M %P'
Fri, 16 Nov 1984 08:00:00 +0800 (41 years ago)

Convert nanosecond-precision unix timestamp to a datetime with offset from UTC.

> 1614434140123456789 | into datetime --offset -5
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:40 +0000 (5 years ago)

Convert standard (seconds) unix timestamp to a UTC datetime.

> 1614434140 | into datetime -f '%s'
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:40 +0000 (5 years ago)

Using a datetime as input simply returns the value.

> 2021-02-27T13:55:40 | into datetime
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 13:55:40 +0000 (5 years ago)

Using a record as input.

> {year: 2025, month: 3, day: 30, hour: 12, minute: 15, second: 59, timezone: '+02:00'} | into datetime
Sun, 30 Mar 2025 10:15:59 +0000 (a year ago)

Convert list of timestamps to datetimes.