Python Program to Get File Creation and Modification Date

In this example, you will learn to get file creation and modification date.

To understand this example, you should have the knowledge of the following Python programming topics:

• Python File I/O

1. Example 1: Using os module

import os.path, time

file = pathlib.Path('abc.py')
print("Last modification time: %s" % time.ctime(os.path.getmtime(file)))
print("Last metadata change time or path creation time: %s" % time.ctime(os.path.getctime(file)))

Output

Last modification time: Mon Apr 12 10:43:24 2020
Last metadata change time or path creation time: Mon Apr 12 10:43:24 2020

getmtime() gives the last modification time whereas getctime() gives the last metadata change time in Linux/Unix and path creation time in Windows.

2. Example 2: Using stat() method

import datetime
import pathlib

fname = pathlib.Path('abc.py')
print("Last modification time: %s" % datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(fname.stat().st_mtime))
print("Last metadata change time or path creation time: %s" % datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(fname.stat().st_ctime))

Output

Last modification time: 2021-04-12 10:43:24.234189
Last metadata change time or path creation time: 2021-04-12 10:43:24.234189

Similar to Example 1, st_mtime refers to the time of last modification; whereas, st_ctime refers to the time of the last metadata change on Linux/Unix and creation time on Windows.