---
name: "date"
type: command
status: ok
groups: ["Environment"]
arma3_since: "0.50"
locality: {"argument": null, "effect": "local", "server_exec": false}
source: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/date
revid: 377601
updated: 2026-01-02T08:16:59Z
---

# date

*Command · Environment · Arma 3 v0.50 · introduced in Armed Assault v1.00*

Locality: effect **local**

## Description

Return the actual in-mission date and time.

## Syntax

```sqf
date
```

**Returns:** Date

## Examples

### Example 1

```sqf
// in Arma 3
date params ["_year", "_month", "_day", "_hours", "_minutes"];

// pre Arma 3
private ["_now", "_year", "_month", "_day", "_hours", "_minutes"];
_now = date;    // [2014,10,30,2,30] a.k.a Oct. 30th, 2:30am
_year        = _now select 0;
_month        = _now select 1;
_day        = _now select 2;
_hours        = _now select 3;
_minutes    = _now select 4;
```

### Example 2

```sqf
if (date select 3 >= 19) then        // 7pm
{
    hintSilent "ah, Arma sunset";    // ...cue bad guys
};
```

## Multiplayer

Returns the current **local** (MP client) in-game date.

> [!NOTE]
> **Arma 3:** Clients' local date is [automatically and periodically synchronised](../topics/Multiplayer_Scripting.md#jip-synchronisation) with the server date.

## See also

[setDate](../commands/setDate.md) · [dateToNumber](../commands/dateToNumber.md) · [numberToDate](../commands/numberToDate.md) · [time](../commands/time.md) · [missionStart](../commands/missionStart.md) · [systemTime](../commands/systemTime.md) · [systemTimeUTC](../commands/systemTimeUTC.md)

## Community notes

**Lou Montana** — 2018-01-23

a useful script to format the date:

```sqf
_curDate = date;
private _ddMMyyyy = format ["%3/%2/%1",
    _curDate select 0,
    (if (_curDate select 1 < 10) then { "0" } else { "" }) + str (_curDate select 1),
    (if (_curDate select 2 < 10) then { "0" } else { "" }) + str (_curDate select 2)
];
```

it can be shortened to: (no intermediary variable but more request to [date](../commands/date.md))

```sqf
private _ddMMyyyy = format ["%3/%2/%1",
    date select 0,
    (if (date select 1 < 10) then { "0" } else { "" }) + str (date select 1),
    (if (date select 2 < 10) then { "0" } else { "" }) + str (date select 2)
];
```

**EDIT:** or to

```sqf
private _ddMMyyyy = format ["%4%5/%2%3/%1",
    date select 0,
    ["", "0"] select (date select 1 < 10),
    date select 1,
    ["", "0"] select (date select 2 < 10),
    date select 2
];
```

<sub>Source: [BI Community Wiki — date](https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/date) (revision 377601).</sub>