Epoch & Unix Timestamp

[Cyrus Muriithi]

Hello, i need assistance in converting Unix time stata to a Human readable format.

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input double time_stamp
1466425303
1466425324
1466425339
1466425487
1466425488
1466425513
1466425535
1466425578
1466425588
1466425600
1466425619
1466425622
end

I am using this format format time_stamp %tcDayname,Mon_DD,ccYY_HH:MM:SS_am but its giving inaccurate results.
I am expecting something similar to this: Monday, June 20, 2016 3:25:13 PM

[Nick Cox]

See

help datetime

where the solution is documented for you.

clear
input double time_stamp
1466425303
1466425324
1466425339
1466425487
1466425488
1466425513
1466425535
1466425578
1466425588
1466425600
1466425619
1466425622
end

rename time_stamp unixtime 
generate double statatime = unixtime * 1000 + mdyhms(1,1,1970,0,0,0)

format unixtime %10.0f 
format statatime %tc 
list 

     +---------------------------------+
     |   unixtime            statatime |
     |---------------------------------|
  1. | 1466425303   20jun2016 12:21:43 |
  2. | 1466425324   20jun2016 12:22:04 |
  3. | 1466425339   20jun2016 12:22:19 |
  4. | 1466425487   20jun2016 12:24:47 |
  5. | 1466425488   20jun2016 12:24:48 |
     |---------------------------------|
  6. | 1466425513   20jun2016 12:25:13 |
  7. | 1466425535   20jun2016 12:25:35 |
  8. | 1466425578   20jun2016 12:26:18 |
  9. | 1466425588   20jun2016 12:26:28 |
 10. | 1466425600   20jun2016 12:26:40 |
     |---------------------------------|
 11. | 1466425619   20jun2016 12:26:59 |
 12. | 1466425622   20jun2016 12:27:02 |
     +---------------------------------+

[Cyrus Muriithi]

Thank you so much Cox, very appreciative

[lee way]

Also reminded that, if we want to extract "year" from the time-format data (i.e., %tc), we can type
gen year = yofd(dofc(statatime)).
For more details, see: help datetime.