time: want more control over time.Format

[ddietterich]

Using go version go1.3.3 linux/amd64

func main() {
        t := time.Now()
        fmt.Printf("time: %v; format: %s\n", t, t.Format("20080101 10:00:00.000"))
}

Prints:

time: 2015-01-09 17:06:02.033307544 +0000 UTC; format: 90080101 10:00:00.033

I want YYYYMMDD, but time.Format is only layout by example, so it cannot know what digits mean year, month, day. I have to do it by hand.

[bradfitz]

Use the reference time. This is explained in the docs: http://golang.org/pkg/time/#pkg-constants

[cespare]

@ddietterich http://play.golang.org/p/REvcaiEavz

[ddietterich]

I read that documentation. I find nothing there that lets me distinguish years, months and days in a concatenated string. It just will not do what I want it to do.

[ddietterich]

@cespare Maybe there is a fix between 1.3.3 and 1.4? You can see that I did not get the correct year in my example.

[cespare]

@ddietterich as @bradfitz said, you need to use the reference time, not some other time of your choosing. (Examine carefully the difference between your code and mine.)

[ddietterich]

OK, I get it.
I find it entirely obscure and won't use it, but I cannot complain that it won't do what I want it to do.
Thanks!