How Can I Convert a String Column to Datetime in a Pandas DataFrame?

Convert String Column in DataFrame to Datetime Format

Problem:

How can a column of strings in a DataFrame be converted to datetime dtype for further analysis or manipulation?

Answer:

The to_datetime function provides a straightforward method to convert strings representing dates to datetime objects. By applying it to the desired column, the conversion can be efficiently performed.

df['column_name'] = pd.to_datetime(df['column_name'])

Arguments:

• column_name: The name of the column containing string dates.

Optional Argument:

• format: Specify the expected date format for parsing.

Additional Notes:

• When using the default format (%Y-%m-%d), the dayfirst argument can be set to True for scenarios where the day comes before the month in the string.
• Example:

df['date_column'] = pd.to_datetime(df['date_column'], format='%d/%m/%Y')

This converts strings in the format "dd/mm/yyyy" to datetime objects in the DataFrame, allowing for easier handling of date-related operations.

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