CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonrandom
pmnz
pmnz

Reputation: 43

How to generate a random datetime interval in python?

I need to generate a random pair of dates as a time interval in python

Like from January 1 to June 2 2017 or from May 4 to September 9 2018

I'm using this to generate a random date:

now = firstJan + timedelta(days = random.randint(0, 365 if calendar.isleap(firstJan.year) else 364))

How do I generate a random interval?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1117

Answers (1)

Amey Dahale
Amey Dahale

Reputation: 750

Here's how I did it -

import datetime, random, calendar

# Function to get random date with given month & year
def getDate(m, y, start=1):
    # For months havin 30 days
    if m in [4,6,9,11]: 
        return random.randrange(start,30,1)
    # For month of Feb, to check if year is leap or not
    elif m == 2:
        if not calendar.isleap(y):
           return random.randrange(start,28,1)
        else:
           return random.randrange(start,29,1)
    else:
           return random.randrange(start,31,1)

# Function to return random time period
def getRandomPeriod(minYear, maxYear):
    if minYear > maxYear:
        raise ValueError('Please enter proper year range')
    if minYear == maxYear:
        y1 = minYear
        y2 = minYear
    else:
        y1 = random.randrange(minYear, maxYear)
        # Choosing lower bound y2 to be same as y1, so that y2 >= y1
        y2 = random.randrange(y1, maxYear)

    m1 = random.randrange(1,12)
    if y2 != y1:
        m2 = random.randrange(1,12,1)
    else:
        # Choosing lower bound m2 to be same as m1, so that m2 >= m1
        m2 = random.randrange(m1,12,1)

    d1 = getDate(m1, y1)
    if m1==m2 and y1==y2:
        d2 = getDate(m2, y2, start=d1+1)
    else:
        d2 = getDate(m2, y2)

    t1 = datetime.datetime(y1,m1,d1)
    t2 = datetime.datetime(y2,m2,d2)
    return (t1.strftime('%B %d %Y'), t2.strftime('%B %d %Y'))

 getRandomPeriod(2010,2010)
 => ('January 03 2010', 'October 09 2010')

 getRandomPeriod(2010,2012)
 => ('July 07 2011', 'August 06 2011')

Upvotes: 2

Related Questions