ActionScript: The Definitive Guide

Name

Date( ) Global Function — a string representing the current date and time

Availability

Flash 5

Synopsis

Date( )

Returns

A string containing the current date and time.

Description

The Date( ) function returns a human-readable string that expresses the current date and time relative to the local time zone. The string also includes the GMT offset (the number of hours difference between local time and Greenwich Mean Time).

Be sure not to confuse the global Date( ) function with the Date( ) class constructor. The Date( ) function returns the date formatted as a standard, if terse, string. It is convenient for humans but not very useful inside a program where you need to manipulate dates and times. For that purpose, you are better off using objects of the Date class, which allow convenient independent access to the year, month, day, and time.

Example

To place the current time and date in a text field with minimal fuss, we can use the Date( ) function as follows:

myTextField = Date( );

// Sets myTextField to a string formatted as follows:
// "Mon Aug 28 16:23:09 GMT-0400 2000"

See Also

The Date class, Date.UTC( )