[[mapping-date-format]]
== Date Format

In JSON documents, dates are represented as strings. Elasticsearch uses a set
of pre-configured format to recognize and convert those, but you can change the
defaults by specifying the `format` option when defining a `date` type, or by
specifying `dynamic_date_formats` in the `root object` mapping (which will
be used unless explicitly overridden by a `date` type). There are built in
formats supported, as well as complete custom one.

The parsing of dates uses http://www.joda.org/joda-time/[Joda]. The
default date parsing used if no format is specified is
http://www.joda.org/joda-time/apidocs/org/joda/time/format/ISODateTimeFormat.html#dateOptionalTimeParser--[ISODateTimeFormat.dateOptionalTimeParser].

An extension to the format allow to define several formats using `||`
separator. This allows to define less strict formats that can be used,
for example, the `yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss||yyyy/MM/dd` format will parse
both `yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss` and `yyyy/MM/dd`. The first format will also
act as the one that converts back from milliseconds to a string
representation.

[float]
[[date-math]]
=== Date Math

The `date` type supports using date math expression when using it in a
query/filter (mainly makes sense in `range` query/filter).

The expression starts with an "anchor" date, which can be either `now`
or a date string (in the applicable format) ending with `||`. It can
then follow by a math expression, supporting `+`, `-` and `/`
(rounding). The units supported are `y` (year), `M` (month), `w` (week),
`d` (day), `h` (hour), `m` (minute), and `s` (second).

Here are some samples: `now+1h`, `now+1h+1m`, `now+1h/d`,
`2012-01-01||+1M/d`.

Note, when doing `range` type searches, and the upper value is
inclusive, the rounding will properly be rounded to the ceiling instead
of flooring it.

To change this behavior, set 
`"mapping.date.round_ceil": false`.


[float]
[[built-in]]
=== Built In Formats

The following tables lists all the defaults ISO formats supported:

[cols="<,<",options="header",]
|=======================================================================
|Name |Description
|`basic_date`|A basic formatter for a full date as four digit year, two
digit month of year, and two digit day of month (yyyyMMdd).

|`basic_date_time`|A basic formatter that combines a basic date and time,
separated by a 'T' (yyyyMMdd'T'HHmmss.SSSZ).

|`basic_date_time_no_millis`|A basic formatter that combines a basic date
and time without millis, separated by a 'T' (yyyyMMdd'T'HHmmssZ).

|`basic_ordinal_date`|A formatter for a full ordinal date, using a four
digit year and three digit dayOfYear (yyyyDDD).

|`basic_ordinal_date_time`|A formatter for a full ordinal date and time,
using a four digit year and three digit dayOfYear
(yyyyDDD'T'HHmmss.SSSZ).

|`basic_ordinal_date_time_no_millis`|A formatter for a full ordinal date
and time without millis, using a four digit year and three digit
dayOfYear (yyyyDDD'T'HHmmssZ).

|`basic_time`|A basic formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit
minute of hour, two digit second of minute, three digit millis, and time
zone offset (HHmmss.SSSZ).

|`basic_time_no_millis`|A basic formatter for a two digit hour of day,
two digit minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and time zone
offset (HHmmssZ).

|`basic_t_time`|A basic formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit
minute of hour, two digit second of minute, three digit millis, and time
zone off set prefixed by 'T' ('T'HHmmss.SSSZ).

|`basic_t_time_no_millis`|A basic formatter for a two digit hour of day,
two digit minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and time zone
offset prefixed by 'T' ('T'HHmmssZ).

|`basic_week_date`|A basic formatter for a full date as four digit
weekyear, two digit week of weekyear, and one digit day of week
(xxxx'W'wwe).

|`basic_week_date_time`|A basic formatter that combines a basic weekyear
date and time, separated by a 'T' (xxxx'W'wwe'T'HHmmss.SSSZ).

|`basic_week_date_time_no_millis`|A basic formatter that combines a basic
weekyear date and time without millis, separated by a 'T'
(xxxx'W'wwe'T'HHmmssZ).

|`date`|A formatter for a full date as four digit year, two digit month
of year, and two digit day of month (yyyy-MM-dd).

|`date_hour`|A formatter that combines a full date and two digit hour of
day.

|`date_hour_minute`|A formatter that combines a full date, two digit hour
of day, and two digit minute of hour.

|`date_hour_minute_second`|A formatter that combines a full date, two
digit hour of day, two digit minute of hour, and two digit second of
minute.

|`date_hour_minute_second_fraction`|A formatter that combines a full
date, two digit hour of day, two digit minute of hour, two digit second
of minute, and three digit fraction of second
(yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS).

|`date_hour_minute_second_millis`|A formatter that combines a full date,
two digit hour of day, two digit minute of hour, two digit second of
minute, and three digit fraction of second (yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS).

|`date_optional_time`|a generic ISO datetime parser where the date is
mandatory and the time is optional.

|`date_time`|A formatter that combines a full date and time, separated by
a 'T' (yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZZ).

|`date_time_no_millis`|A formatter that combines a full date and time
without millis, separated by a 'T' (yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZZ).

|`hour`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day.

|`hour_minute`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day and two digit
minute of hour.

|`hour_minute_second`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit
minute of hour, and two digit second of minute.

|`hour_minute_second_fraction`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day,
two digit minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and three digit
fraction of second (HH:mm:ss.SSS).

|`hour_minute_second_millis`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two
digit minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and three digit
fraction of second (HH:mm:ss.SSS).

|`ordinal_date`|A formatter for a full ordinal date, using a four digit
year and three digit dayOfYear (yyyy-DDD).

|`ordinal_date_time`|A formatter for a full ordinal date and time, using
a four digit year and three digit dayOfYear (yyyy-DDD'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZZ).

|`ordinal_date_time_no_millis`|A formatter for a full ordinal date and
time without millis, using a four digit year and three digit dayOfYear
(yyyy-DDD'T'HH:mm:ssZZ).

|`time`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit minute of
hour, two digit second of minute, three digit fraction of second, and
time zone offset (HH:mm:ss.SSSZZ).

|`time_no_millis`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit
minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and time zone offset
(HH:mm:ssZZ).

|`t_time`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit minute of
hour, two digit second of minute, three digit fraction of second, and
time zone offset prefixed by 'T' ('T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZZ).

|`t_time_no_millis`|A formatter for a two digit hour of day, two digit
minute of hour, two digit second of minute, and time zone offset
prefixed by 'T' ('T'HH:mm:ssZZ).

|`week_date`|A formatter for a full date as four digit weekyear, two
digit week of weekyear, and one digit day of week (xxxx-'W'ww-e).

|`week_date_time`|A formatter that combines a full weekyear date and
time, separated by a 'T' (xxxx-'W'ww-e'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZZ).

|`weekDateTimeNoMillis`|A formatter that combines a full weekyear date
and time without millis, separated by a 'T' (xxxx-'W'ww-e'T'HH:mm:ssZZ).

|`week_year`|A formatter for a four digit weekyear.

|`weekyearWeek`|A formatter for a four digit weekyear and two digit week
of weekyear.

|`weekyearWeekDay`|A formatter for a four digit weekyear, two digit week
of weekyear, and one digit day of week.

|`year`|A formatter for a four digit year.

|`year_month`|A formatter for a four digit year and two digit month of
year.

|`year_month_day`|A formatter for a four digit year, two digit month of
year, and two digit day of month.
|=======================================================================

[float]
[[custom]]
=== Custom Format

Allows for a completely customizable date format explained
http://www.joda.org/joda-time/apidocs/org/joda/time/format/DateTimeFormat.html[here].
