General Custom Format Strings

You can use general custom format strings to create custom time or date formats.

The table shows the general custom format strings and the results that they display. These allow the display of date and time fields in the user's locale.

General Format String	Result
[FMT:dateShort]	Formats the date in the locale's short date format. You can also type [FMT:date].
[FMT:dateLong]	Formats the date in the locale's long date format.
[FMT:dateInput]	Formats the date in a format acceptable for input back into the system.
[FMT:time]	Formats the time in the locale's time format.
[FMT:timeHourMin]	Formats the time in the locale's time format but omits the seconds.
[FMT:timeInput]	Formats the time in a format acceptable for input back into the system.
[FMT:timeInputHourMin]	Formats the time in a format acceptable for input back into the system, but omits the seconds.
[FMT:timeStampShort]	Equivalent to typing [FMT:dateShort] [FMT:time]. Formats the date in the locale's short date format and the time in the locale's time format. You can also type [FMT:timeStamp].
[FMT:timeStampLong]	Equivalent to typing [FMT:dateLong] [FMT:time]. Formats the date in the locale's long date format and the time in the locale's time format.
[FMT:timeStampInput]	Equivalent to [FMT:dateInput] [FMT:timeInput]. Formats the date and the time in a format acceptable for input back into the system.
[FMT:timeHour]	Formats the hour field only in the locale's format, such as 8 PM.
YY or yy	Displays the last two digits of the year, for example 11 for 2011.
YYY or yyy	Displays the last three digits of the year, for example, 011 for 2011.
YYYY or yyyy	Displays the four-digit year, for example, 2011.
M	Displays the numeric month, for example, 2 for February.
MM	Displays the numeric month, padded to the left with zero for single-digit months, for example, 02 for February.
MMM	Displays the abbreviated name of the month in the user's locale, for example, Feb.
MMMM	Displays the full name of the month in the user's locale, for example, February.
D or d	Displays the day of the month, for example, 1.
DD or dd	Displays the day of the month, padded to the left with zero for single-digit days, for example, 01.
DDD or ddd	Displays the abbreviated name of the day of the week in the user's locale, for example, Thu for Thursday.
DDDD or dddd	Displays the full name of the day of the week in the user's locale, for example, Thursday.
DDDDD or ddddd	Displays the first letter of the name of the day of the week in the user's locale, for example, T for Thursday.
r	Displays the day of year, for example, 1.
rr	Displays the day of year, padded to the left with zero for single-digit day of year, for example, 01.
rrr	Displays the day of year, padded to the left with zero for single-digit day of year, for example, 001.
w	Displays the week of year, for example, 1.
ww	Displays the week of year, padded to the left with zero for single-digit weeks, for example, 01.
q	Displays the quarter of year, for example, 4.
h	Displays the hour in 12-hour time, for example 2.
H	Displays the hour in 24-hour time, for example, 23.
hh	Displays the hour in 12-hour time, padded to the left with zero for single-digit hours, for example, 01.
HH	Displays the hour in 24-hour time, padded to the left with zero for single digit hours, for example, 23.
m	Displays the minute, for example, 7.
mm	Displays the minute, padded to the left with zero for single-digit minutes, for example, 07.
s	Displays the second, for example, 2. You can also include decimals in the string, such as s.# or s.00 (where # means an optional digit, and 0 means a required digit).
ss	Displays the second, padded to the left with zero for single-digit seconds, for example, 02. You can also include decimals in the string, such as ss.# or ss.00 (where # means an optional digit, and 0 means a required digit).
S	Displays the millisecond, for example, 2.
SS	Displays the millisecond, padded to the left with zero for single-digit milliseconds, for example, 02.
SSS	Displays the millisecond, padded to the left with zero for single-digit milliseconds, for example, 002.
tt	Displays the abbreviation for ante meridiem or post meridiem in the user's locale, for example, pm.
gg	Displays the era in the user's locale.