Working with Date Fields in Baserow API

The Baserow API provides a convenient way to work with date fields. When working with dates, you might need to retrieve them, format them according to certain settings, or even modify them. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to achieve these tasks.

Setting Up

Start by initializing the Baserow client and getting a table instance:

from baserowapi import Baserow

# Initialize the Baserow client
baserow = Baserow(url='https://baserow.example.com', token='mytoken')
table = baserow.get_table(1234567)

Accessing Date Field Settings

Every date field in Baserow has associated properties, which can be accessed from the field object:

print(table.fields['myDate'].date_format)

Fetching and Formatting Dates

Baserow stores date values as UTC strings. You can retrieve these values directly or as Python datetime objects:

# Retrieve the date as a string
myRow = table.get_row(1)
print(myRow['myDate'])

# Note that the value returned by the API is not formatted according to the field settings.
'2024-08-15' # if table.fields['myDate'].date_include_time == false
'2024-08-15T18:00:00Z' # if table.fields['myDate'].date_include_time == true

# Convert the date into a Python datetime object
print(myRow.values['myDate'].as_datetime())

# Fetch the date as a formatted string based on the field's settings
print(myRow.values['myDate'].formatted_date)

Updating Date Values

Dates can be updated using strings.

# Update the date value using a UTC string
myRow['myDate'] = '2023-10-02T18:38:45Z'

# Update the date value using a bare date string
myRow['myDate'] = '2023-10-02'

# Update the date value

# Manipulate the date using Python's datetime library
import datetime
from datetime import timedelta

field_date = myRow.values['myDate'].as_datetime()

# Add one day to the date
new_date = field_date + timedelta(days=1)
print(new_date)

# Update the row with the new date value
myRow['myDate'] = new_date
myRow.update()