date-time.md

Date / Time

Convert between timestamps, Windows Filetimes and human-readable datetimes, and reformat datetime strings.

Operations are listed alphabetically.

Operation	Subcommand	Reference
DateTime Delta	datetime-delta	moment.js format
Extract dates	extract-dates	ISO 8601
From UNIX Timestamp	from-unix-timestamp	UNIX time
Get Time	get-time	UNIX time
Parse DateTime	parse-datetime	moment.js format
To UNIX Timestamp	to-unix-timestamp	UNIX time
Translate DateTime Format	translate-datetime-format	moment.js format
UNIX Timestamp to Windows Filetime	unix-timestamp-to-windows-filetime	Windows Filetime
Windows Filetime to UNIX Timestamp	windows-filetime-to-unix-timestamp	Windows Filetime

Format strings. datetime-delta, parse-datetime and translate-datetime-format take moment.js format tokens (e.g. DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss, dddd Do MMMM YYYY). The common tokens reproduce CyberChef's output. Known fidelity gaps, matching or approximating CyberChef where noted:

• Timezone names are resolved via the system tz database, so the z abbreviation and Z/ZZ offsets are only as complete as the host's zoneinfo.
• Week-year tokens (gg/GG) approximate to the calendar year.
• A bare W token is emitted literally (as moment does); use WW/Wo for the ISO week number.
• Parsing uses a fixed set of ISO-like layouts for the Automatic format; unusual input shapes moment would still accept may be rejected.

Each of the three format operations also accepts a leading --built-in-formats argument (the CyberChef "Built in formats" dropdown). It is accepted for recipe compatibility but ignored — set the format directly with the format-string flag.

---

DateTime Delta

Adds or subtracts a days/hours/minutes/seconds delta from a datetime, keeping the input format. Parsing is done in UTC.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--input-format-string	string	DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss	Format of the input (and output) datetime.
--time-operation	option	Add	Add or Subtract the delta.
--days	number	0	Days to add/subtract.
--hours	number	0	Hours to add/subtract.
--minutes	number	0	Minutes to add/subtract.
--seconds	number	0	Seconds to add/subtract.

Simple example

cchef datetime-delta -i '20/02/2024 13:36:00' --time-operation Add --minutes 1

Output:

20/02/2024 13:37:00

---

Extract dates

Extracts dates in yyyy-mm-dd, dd/mm/yyyy and mm/dd/yyyy shapes (separators -, / or .), one per line.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--display-total	bool	false	Prefix the output with a total count.

Simple example

cchef extract-dates -i 'Due 2024-02-20, ship 01/04/1999.' --display-total

Output:

Total found: 2

2024-02-20
01/04/1999

---

From UNIX Timestamp

Renders a UNIX timestamp as a human-readable UTC datetime.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--units	option	Seconds (s)	Input units: Seconds (s), Milliseconds (ms), Microseconds (μs), Nanoseconds (ns).

Simple example

cchef from-unix-timestamp -i '1276263039'

Output:

Fri 11 June 2010 13:30:39 UTC

---

Get Time

Emits the current time since the UNIX epoch in the chosen unit. The value depends on when it runs.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--granularity	option	Seconds (s)	Output units: Seconds (s), Milliseconds (ms), Microseconds (μs), Nanoseconds (ns).

Simple example

cchef get-time --granularity 'Milliseconds (ms)'

Output:

1783118250086

---

Parse DateTime

Parses a datetime in the given format and timezone and reports its components.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--input-format-string	string	DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss	moment.js format of the input.
--input-timezone	string	UTC	Timezone the input is in (any tz database name).

Simple example

cchef parse-datetime -i '01/04/1999 22:33:01'

Output:

Date: Thursday 1st April 1999
Time: 22:33:01
Period: PM
Timezone: UTC
UTC offset: +0000

Daylight Saving Time: false
Leap year: false
Days in this month: 30

Day of year: 91
Week number: 14
Quarter: 2

---

To UNIX Timestamp

Parses a datetime string and returns the corresponding UNIX timestamp. The input is parsed leniently (ISO 8601 and close relatives).

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--units	option	Seconds (s)	Output units: Seconds (s), Milliseconds (ms), Microseconds (μs), Nanoseconds (ns).
--treat-as-utc	bool	true	Interpret the input as UTC (otherwise the local timezone).
--show-parsed-datetime	bool	true	Append the parsed datetime for confirmation.

Simple example

cchef to-unix-timestamp -i '2013-02-04 22:33:01'

Output:

1360017181 (Mon 4 February 2013 22:33:01 UTC)

Just the number

cchef to-unix-timestamp -i '2013-02-04 22:33:01' --show-parsed-datetime=false

Output:

1360017181

---

Translate DateTime Format

Parses a datetime in one format/timezone and re-writes it in another. Returns Invalid format. if the input does not match the input format.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--input-format-string	string	DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss	Format of the input (empty = automatic).
--input-timezone	string	UTC	Timezone the input is in.
--output-format-string	string	dddd Do MMMM YYYY HH:mm:ss Z z	Format to write.
--output-timezone	string	UTC	Timezone to convert to.

Simple example

cchef translate-datetime-format -i '01/04/1999 22:33:01'

Output:

Thursday 1st April 1999 22:33:01 +00:00 UTC

Convert timezone

cchef translate-datetime-format -i '01/04/1999 22:33:01' --output-timezone US/Eastern

Output:

Thursday 1st April 1999 17:33:01 -05:00 EST

---

UNIX Timestamp to Windows Filetime

Converts a UNIX timestamp to a Windows Filetime (100 ns intervals since 1601-01-01 UTC).

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--input-units	option	Seconds (s)	Units of the input timestamp.
--output-format	option	Decimal	Output radix: Decimal, Hex (big endian), Hex (little endian).

Simple example

cchef unix-timestamp-to-windows-filetime -i '1276263039' --input-units 'Seconds (s)'

Output:

129207366390000000

---

Windows Filetime to UNIX Timestamp

Converts a Windows Filetime back to a UNIX timestamp in the chosen unit.

Options

Flag	Type	Default	Description
--output-units	option	Seconds (s)	Units of the output timestamp.
--input-format	option	Decimal	Input radix: Decimal, Hex (big endian), Hex (little endian).

Simple example

cchef windows-filetime-to-unix-timestamp -i '129207366395297693' --output-units 'Nanoseconds (ns)'

Output:

1276263039529769300