ValueError: '%' is a bad directive in format '%d%^b%y'

Question

I am trying to convert string to datetime. The string syntax is 30JUN21.

Code:

df.column = pd.to_datetime(df.column, , format='%d%^b%y')

Error:

ValueError: '%' is a bad directive in format '%d%^b%y'

I am pretty sure this error relates to the caret. I don't know another way around the upper case month abbreviations.

See https://docs.python.org/3/library/datetime.html#strftime-and-strptime-behavior.

There's no way to specify "uppercase `%b`", because `%b` already doesn't falter on case. — deceze, Jan 24 '22 at 15:00
@mechanical If that helped, then it should also work as is (which it does), since the manual gives Titlecased examples and not lowercased examples. — deceze, Jan 24 '22 at 15:01

XxJames07- · Answer 1 · 2022-01-24T15:07:02.473

1

try this:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame([("Date1","NewDate")],columns=["30JUN21","30MAR22"])

df.columns = [pd.to_datetime(column, format='%d%b%y') for column in df.columns]
print(df)

output:

  2021-06-30 2022-03-30

0      Date1    NewDate

edited Jan 24 '22 at 15:07

answered Jan 24 '22 at 14:58

XxJames07-

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Thanks for sharing but this doesn't handle the case issue – Stuart Hiddema Jan 24 '22 at 15:04
ok let me try this, it worked for me. – XxJames07- Jan 24 '22 at 15:05

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 24 '22 at 23:38

0

This issue is that directives are case sensitive. I received the data in upper case. The following code resolved the issue.

df.column = pd.to_datetime(df.column.title(), format='%d%b%y')

edited Jan 24 '22 at 23:38

pppery

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answered Jan 24 '22 at 15:12

Stuart Hiddema

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ValueError: '%' is a bad directive in format '%d%^b%y'

2 Answers2