["python","datetime","random"]
How to generate a random date between two other dates?

How would I generate a random date that has to be between two other given dates? The function's signature should be something like this: random_date("1/1/2008 1:30 PM", "1/1/2009 4:50 AM", 0.34) ^ ^ ^ date generated has date generated has a random number to be after this to be before this and would return a date such as: 2/4/2008 7:20 PM
Convert both strings to timestamps (in your chosen resolution, e.g. milliseconds, seconds, hours, days, whatever), subtract the earlier from the later, multiply your random number (assuming it is distributed in the range [0, 1]) with that difference, and add again to the earlier one. Convert the timestamp back to date string and you have a random time in that range. Python example (output is almost in the format you specified, other than 0 padding - blame the American time format conventions): import random import time def str_time_prop(start, end, time_format, prop): """Get a time at a proportion of a range of two formatted times. start and end should be strings specifying times formatted in the given format (strftime-style), giving an interval [start, end]. prop specifies how a proportion of the interval to be taken after start. The returned time will be in the specified format. """ stime = time.mktime(time.strptime(start, time_format)) etime = time.mktime(time.strptime(end, time_format)) ptime = stime + prop * (etime - stime) return time.strftime(time_format, time.localtime(ptime)) def random_date(start, end, prop): return str_time_prop(start, end, '%m/%d/%Y %I:%M %p', prop) print(random_date("1/1/2008 1:30 PM", "1/1/2009 4:50 AM", random.random()))