formatDateTime
Standalone function to format dates and times according to locale conventions
Overview
The standalone formatDateTime function formats dates and times according to locale-specific conventions without requiring a GT instance.
It provides the same functionality as the GT class method but can be used independently.
import { formatDateTime } from 'generaltranslation';
const formatted = formatDateTime(new Date(), {
  locales: 'de-DE',
  dateStyle: 'medium',
  timeStyle: 'short'
});
// Returns: "26.09.2025, 17:33"Reference
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description | 
|---|---|---|
| date | Date | The date object to format | 
| options | DateTimeFormatOptions & { locales?: string | string[] } | Formatting configuration with optional locales | 
DateTimeFormatOptions
| Name | Type | Description | 
|---|---|---|
| locales? | string | string[] | Locales for formatting (defaults to system locale) | 
| dateStyle? | 'full' | 'long' | 'medium' | 'short' | Overall date formatting style | 
| timeStyle? | 'full' | 'long' | 'medium' | 'short' | Overall time formatting style | 
| weekday? | 'long' | 'short' | 'narrow' | Weekday representation | 
| year? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | Year representation | 
| month? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | 'long' | 'short' | 'narrow' | Month representation | 
| day? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | Day representation | 
| hour? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | Hour representation | 
| minute? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | Minute representation | 
| second? | 'numeric' | '2-digit' | Second representation | 
| timeZone? | string | IANA time zone identifier | 
| hour12? | boolean | Whether to use 12-hour time format | 
Returns
string - The formatted date and time according to locale conventions.
Example
Basic Usage
import { formatDateTime } from 'generaltranslation';
// Basic formatting with explicit locale
console.log(formatDateTime(date, { locales: 'en-US' }));
// Output: "3/14/2024"
// German formatting
console.log(formatDateTime(date, { locales: 'de-DE' }));
// Output: "14.3.2024"
// Multiple locale fallbacks
console.log(formatDateTime(date, { 
  locales: ['ja-JP', 'en-US'] 
}));
// Output: "2024/3/14" (Japanese format)Date and Time Styles
const date = new Date('2024-03-14T14:30:45Z');
// Full date style
console.log(formatDateTime(date, {
  locales: 'en-US',
  dateStyle: 'full'
}));
// Output: "Thursday, March 14, 2024"
// Long date with short time
console.log(formatDateTime(date, {
  locales: 'fr-FR',
  dateStyle: 'long',
  timeStyle: 'short'
}));
// Output: "14 mars 2024 à 07:30"
// Short format across locales
const locales = ['en-US', 'de-DE', 'ja-JP'];
locales.forEach(locale => {
  console.log(`${locale}: ${formatDateTime(date, {
    locales: locale,
    dateStyle: 'short',
    timeStyle: 'short'
  })}`);
});
// Output:
// en-US: 3/14/24, 7:30 AM
// de-DE: 14.03.24, 07:30
// ja-JP: 2024/03/14 7:30Time Zone Handling
const date = new Date('2024-03-14T14:30:45Z');
// Format for different time zones
const timeZones = [
  'America/New_York',
  'Europe/London', 
  'Asia/Tokyo'
];
timeZones.forEach(timeZone => {
  const formatted = formatDateTime(date, {
    locales: 'en-US',
    timeZone,
    dateStyle: 'medium',
    timeStyle: 'medium'
  });
  console.log(`${timeZone}: ${formatted}`);
});
// Output varies based on daylight saving timeNotes
- The localesparameter is optional and defaults to the system locale if not provided
- Uses the same underlying Intl.DateTimeFormatas the GT class method
- Results are cached internally for performance with repeated locale/options combinations
- All standard Intl.DateTimeFormatoptions are supported
- Time zones are handled correctly when specified
- Different locales have different default date/time formats and 12-hour vs 24-hour preferences
Next Steps
- Check out Intl.DateTimeFormatdocumentation for more options
- See formatNumfor standalone number formatting
- See formatMessagefor standalone message formatting
- See GT class formatDateTimefor instance-based usage
- See formatRelativeTimefor relative time formatting
How is this guide?

