How can I convert a Python datetime object to Unix time (seconds/milliseconds since the 1970 epoch)?

Converting Datetime Objects to Epoch Time (Unix Time) in Python

In Python, converting datetime objects to Unix time, or milliseconds since the 1970 epoch, is a common task. The following question delves into how to accomplish this conversion effectively:

Question:

How can I convert a Python datetime object to unix time, or seconds/milliseconds since the 1970 epoch?

Answer:

One of the most straightforward solutions is to utilize the "unix_time_millis" function, as demonstrated below:

import datetime

epoch = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(0)

def unix_time_millis(dt):
    return (dt - epoch).total_seconds() * 1000.0

Explanation:

1. import datetime: This line imports the datetime module, which provides the necessary functionality for handling date and time operations.
2. epoch = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(0): This line defines the epoch, which represents the point in time from which Unix time is measured (January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC).
3. def unix_time_millis(dt): This defines a function called "unix_time_millis" that takes a datetime object "dt" as its parameter.
4. (dt - epoch): This calculates the time difference between the input datetime "dt" and the epoch.
5. .total_seconds(): This converts the time difference from a timedelta object to a float representing the total number of seconds.
6. * 1000.0: This multiplies the number of seconds by 1000 to convert it to milliseconds.

By using this function, you can effortlessly convert any datetime object to Unix time in milliseconds.

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