How to Get a Timestamp in JavaScript

In this snippet, we are going to explore the ways of getting a timestamp in JavaScript in a fast and comfortable way.

Date.now() Method

This method can be supported in almost all browsers. The Date.now() method is aimed at returning the number of milliseconds elapsed since the Unix Epoch. As <kbd class="highlighted">now()</kbd> is considered a static method, it is not capable of creating a new instance of the <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object. The example below demonstrates it:

Javascript date now

valueOf() Method

An alternative option is the <kbd class="highlighted">valueOf</kbd> method that returns the primitive value of a <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object that has the same quantity of milliseconds since the Unix Epoch.

Here is an example:

Javascript date value

getTime() Method

You have the option of implementing the getTime() method for getting a UNIX timestamp that is equivalent to the <kbd class="highlighted">valueOf()</kbd> method.

The example will look like this:

Javascript date getTime

Unary plus

Another approach is to use the unary plus operator that converts the <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object into milliseconds. You can implement it by calling the <kbd class="highlighted">valueOf()</kbd> method of the <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object, like here:

Javascript date getTime

Number Constructor

For getting a time value as a number data type, you may act like this:

Javascript number date time

Moment.js

If you already use the <kbd class="highlighted">Moment.js</kbd> library, you can also use the <kbd class="highlighted">valueOf()</kbd> method, outputting the milliseconds’ quantity after the Unix Epoch. It is demonstrated in the following example:

javascript moment value

let moment = require('moment');
let milliseconds = moment().valueOf();
console.log(milliseconds)

As an alternative method, you can use the <kbd class="highlighted">unix()</kbd> method in case you need to get the number of seconds since UNIX epoch.

Date and Time in JavaScript

As date and time are a regular part of our lives, they are also considered prominent in programming. In JavaScript, you can create a website with a calendar, an interface for setting up appointments, and so on. All these are possible due to the built-in <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object. It stores date and time and provides a range of built-in methods for formatting and managing data.

So, the <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> object in JavaScript is used for representing both date and time. You can subtract dates in JavaScript, giving their difference in milliseconds because the <kbd class="highlighted">Date</kbd> is transformed into a timestamp when converted to a number.