JavaScript · Chapter 24 of 55

JavaScript Dates

The `Date` object represents a single moment in time, used for tasks like timestamps, scheduling, and formatting dates for display.

You create a Date with `new Date()`, which defaults to the current moment, or pass specific values to construct a particular date.

Creating dates

`new Date()` gives now. `new Date(2024, 0, 15)` creates January 15, 2024 — note that months are zero-indexed (0 = January).

Methods like `getFullYear()`, `getMonth()`, `getDate()`, and `getDay()` extract specific components from a Date object.

Example 1 (javascript)

let d = new Date(2024, 0, 15);
console.log(d.getFullYear());
console.log(d.getMonth());

Output

2024
0

getMonth() returns 0 for January due to zero-indexing.

Example 2 (javascript)

let now = new Date();
console.log(typeof now.getTime());

Output

number

getTime() returns milliseconds since Jan 1, 1970 (the Unix epoch).

💡 Note: For robust date formatting and manipulation in real apps, many developers use a library like date-fns or Day.js.