Re: How to Determine Name of the Day in the Week

[Keo Sophon]

Fredrik Lundh wrote:

Henry Chang wrote:

>Instead of getting integers with weekday(), Monday == 0 ... Sunday ==
6; is there a way to get the actual names, such as "Monday ...
Sunday"? I would like to do this without creating a data mapping. :)

if you have a datetime or date object, you can use strftime with the
appropriate formatting code. see the library reference for details.

if you have the weekday number, you can use the calender module:

>import calendar
calendar.day_name[0]

'Monday'

(the latter also contains abbreviated day names, month names, and a
bunch of other potentially useful functions and mappings.)

</F>

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

Hi,

I've tried calendar.month_name[0], it displays empty string, while
calendar.month_name[1] is "January"? Why does calendar.month_name's
index not start with index 0 as calendar.day_name?

Thanks,
Sophon

[Mensanator]

On Sep 17, 10:20*pm, Keo Sophon <[e-mail]:

Fredrik Lundh wrote:

Henry Chang wrote:

Instead of getting integers with weekday(), Monday == 0 ... Sunday==
6; is there a way to get the actual names, such as "Monday ...
Sunday"? I would like to do this without creating a data mapping. :)

if you have a datetime or date object, you can use strftime with the
appropriate formatting code. see the library reference for details.

if you have the weekday number, you can use the calender module:

>>import calendar
>>calendar.day_name[0]

'Monday'

(the latter also contains abbreviated day names, month names, and a
bunch of other potentially useful functions and mappings.)

</F>

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

Hi,

I've tried calendar.month_name[0], it displays empty string, while
calendar.month_name[1] is "January"? Why does calendar.month_name's
index not start with index 0 as calendar.day_name?

Because there's no month 0?

And technically, weeks begin on Sunday, not Monday, but business
likes to think of Monday as day 0 of the week and it doesn't
conflict with any prior date format.

>
Thanks,
Sophon

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:34:02 -0700, Mensanator wrote:

And technically, weeks begin on Sunday, not Monday, but business likes
to think of Monday as day 0 of the week and it doesn't conflict with any
prior date format.

There's no "technically" about it. It's an arbitrary starting point, and
consequently there are different traditions to it, even in English.

Besides, I don't think many businesses think of "day 0" at all. Most
people outside of IT start counting from 1, not 0.

In British Commonwealth countries, Sunday is the last day of the week,
not the first, although under American influence that's changing in
Australia at least.

In Poland, the week begins with Monday ("poniedziałek"). Tuesday,
"wtorek", means "second day". Other Slavic countries also start with
Monday.

Similarly, the Lithuanian calendar simple enumerates the days of the
week, starting with Monday, "pirmadienis" ("first day").

In China, there are at least three different systems of naming the week
days. In two of them, the week starts with Sunday, but in the third
system, Sunday is "zhoumo" ("cycle's end") and Monday is zhouyi ("first
of cycle").

--
Steven

[Mensanator]

On Sep 18, 12:01*am, Steven D'Aprano
<[e-mail]:

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:34:02 -0700, Mensanator wrote:

And technically, weeks begin on Sunday, not Monday, but business likes
to think of Monday as day 0 of the week and it doesn't conflict with any
prior date format.

There's no "technically" about it.

Sure there is, within the tradition I was refering to.
Within that tradition, the start of the week isn't arbitray.

Besides, the documentation specifically says it's using
the European system

<quote>
By default, these calendars have Monday as the first day
of the week, and Sunday as the last (the European convention).
Use setfirstweekday() to set the first day of the week to
Sunday (6) or to any other weekday.
</quote>

So, by default, Python doesn't use the American convention
of weeks starting on Sunday (an American technicality).
This does not contradict what I said.

It's an arbitrary starting point,

Amongst different systems, it's never arbitrary within a system.

and
consequently there are different traditions to it, even in English.

I know, that's why I added the caveat.

>
Besides, I don't think many businesses think of "day 0" at all. Most
people outside of IT start counting from 1, not 0.

The accounting software I use to fill out my timesheet
electronically was obviously created by IT people and
the week begins on Monday. Their will is, of course,
forced on all employees whether they are IT or not.

>
In British Commonwealth countries, Sunday is the last day of the week,
not the first, although under American influence that's changing in
Australia at least.

In Poland, the week begins with Monday ("poniedzia³ek"). Tuesday,
"wtorek", means "second day". Other Slavic countries also start with
Monday.

Similarly, the Lithuanian calendar simple enumerates the days of the
week, starting with Monday, "pirmadienis" ("first day").

In China, there are at least three different systems of naming the week
days. In two of them, the week starts with Sunday, but in the third
system, Sunday is "zhoumo" ("cycle's end") and Monday is zhouyi ("first
of cycle").

Last time I was in Borders, I don't recall seeing any
Polish, Lithuanian or Chinese calendars for sale.

>
--
Steven