# Avoiding date using printf

In Bash 4.2, a shell built-in time conversion for printf was introduced: the format specification %(datefmt)T makes printf output the date-time string corresponding to the format string datefmt as understood by strftime (opens new window).

# Get the current date

$ printf '%(%F)T\n'
2016-08-17

# Set variable to current time

$ printf -v now '%(%T)T'
$ echo "$now"
12:42:47

# Syntax

printf '%(dateFmt)T' # dateFmt can be any format string that strftime recognizes
printf '%(dateFmt)T' -1 # -1 represents the current time (default for no argument)
printf '%(dateFmt)T' -2 # -2 represents the time the shell was invoked

# Remarks

Using printf -v foo '%(...)T' is identical to foo=$(date +'...') and saves a fork for the call to the external program date.

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