how to get now() or time() into a string?

[BrianB]

Well, I am saving files, and I would like to save them to a folder named after now) or date() and time() , so when my program starts it makes a string with this in it. The string has to be formatted so windows will allow it to be used as a folder name.
How can i make a string with the contents of Now() or similar in it?
thanks

[Andreas Masur]

Well...I assume that you are referring to the Visual Basic 'Now" function? Anyway...what about the following...

#include <sstream>
#include <windows.h>

SYSTEMTIME Time;
::GetLocalTime(&Time);

std::stringstream strsName;

strsName << std::setfill('0') 
         << "MyLogfile_"
         << Time.wYear
         << std::setw(2) << Time.wMonth
         << std::setw(2) << Time.wDay
         << "_"
         << std::setw(2) << Time.wHour
         << std::setw(2) << Time.wMinute
         << std::setw(2) << Time.wSecond
         << ".log";

[Tamerocyte]

  LPSYSTEMTIME lpSystemTime = NULL;
    if(!SetCurrentDirectory(szDir))
    {
      sprintf(g_szErrorString, "Invalid trail file directory name %s - ", szDir);
      return -1;
    }
    lpSystemTime = new SYSTEMTIME;

    GetLocalTime(lpSystemTime);
    //Create unique name for trail file depending on current date,
    //i.e. AudTrailYYYYMMDDHHMMSS
    sprintf(m_szTrailFileName, "%s%s%.4u_%.2u_%.2u_%.2u%.2u_%.2u%s", szDir, "\\AudTrail", 
      (UINT)lpSystemTime->wYear, (UINT)lpSystemTime->wMonth, (UINT)lpSystemTime->wDay, 
      (UINT)lpSystemTime->wHour, (UINT)lpSystemTime->wMinute, (UINT)lpSystemTime->wSecond, ".txt");
    break;

You can use this code, only difference from Andreas is I use sprintf
Cheers

[gstercken]

If you're using MFC, here's another (easier) way:

CTime now = CTime ::GetCurrentTime();
CString strNow = now.Format("%Y%m%d%H%M%S");

[BrianB]

Thank you all for the response. What I am looking for is something in this format:
08_08_2004_8_42_PM
or similar, so its easily read, and used to create a directory. I don't use the MFC as I develope under borland, so and stl or vcl way would be very appreciated. Perhapse a function that returns a std::string ?
thanks again

[Andreas Masur]

#include <sstream>
#include <string>
#include <windows.h>

std::string GetTimestamp()
{
  SYSTEMTIME Time;
  ::GetLocalTime(&Time);

  std::stringstream strsTime;

  strsTime << std::setfill('0') 
           << Time.wYear
           << std::setw(2) << Time.wMonth
           << std::setw(2) << Time.wDay
           << "_"
           << std::setw(2) << Time.wHour
           << std::setw(2) << Time.wMinute
           << std::setw(2) << Time.wSecond
           << ".log";

  return strsTime.str();
}

The formatting can be done as you want...

[BrianB]

Thank you all very much

[Tanu]

hi gstercken,

Thankyou very much for suggesting such a easier method.