Re: Print modification time in compact form

[Robin A. Meade]

> $ stat -c '%y' file.txt
> 2017-07-31 17:50:54.000000000 +0100
>
> Is there a way to directly print it as 20170731-1750? Thanks.

gnu stat doesn't provide fine control over the formatting of the 
timestamps.
See Jan 7, 2021 request for enhancement:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/coreutils/2021-03/msg00024.html

You can use gnu date, gnu find, or bsd stat:

# Replicate conditions of your example
TZ=GMT-1 bash
cd "$(mktemp -d)"
touch -m -d '2017-07-31 17:50:54.000000000 +0100' file.txt
stat -c '%y' file.txt
# 2017-07-31 17:50:54.000000000 +0100

# gnu date
date -r file.txt +'%Y%m%d-%H%M'
# 20170731-1750

# gnu find
find ./file.txt -printf '%TY%Tm%Td-%TH%TM\n'
# 20170731-1750

# bsd stat
stat -f "%Sm" -t "%Y%m%d-%H%M" file.txt
# 20170731-1750

Robin


On 3/15/21 4:16 PM, Peng Yu wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I see modification time can be printed in this format.
>
> $ stat -c '%y' file.txt
> 2017-07-31 17:50:54.000000000 +0100
>
> Is there a way to directly print it as 20170731-1750? Thanks.