The R language is open source, so we can analyze the source code to understand exactly how R works. Anyone may add features and fix bugs without waiting for the publisher to release a patch.

“How to convert decimal to Datetime Format in R” it’s one of the most common programming questions. So, what can we do? We will discuss this question to find the best solution.

Ways to convert decimal to Datetime Format in R

R could be integrated with other languages ​​(C, C++). It also allows us to interact with many data sources and statistical packages (SAS, SPSS). R has a strong development community. 

I have decimal data and would like to convert it to datetime format as an example.

myDecTime = 82.180

And this is the code that I want.

myDecTime = 01:22.11

1) Use the lubridate package

DateTime to decimal conversion You can only use the lubridate package. I’ve included a complete example for your convenience.

package(lubridate)

t <- 82.180

# your output string as character

lubridate::seconds(t) %>% 

  lubridate::as_datetime() %>% 

  format("%M:%OS3") 

# output as period

lubridate::seconds(t) %>% 

  lubridate::as.period()

# output as duration

lubridate::seconds(t) %>% 

  lubridate::as.duration() 

# output as time time

lubridate::seconds(t) %>% 

  lubridate::as.difftime()

2) Use POSIXct object

A POSIXct object whose year corresponds to the decimal integer part. The months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds are chosen so that the date-time accurately represents the decimal fraction of the year. Let us learn more about this by using the following example:

date <- ymd("2009-02-10")

decimal <- decimal_date(date)  # 2009.11

date_decimal(decimal) # "2009-02-10 UTC"

#> [1] "2009-02-10 UTC"

Conclusion

R is a powerful tool for machine learning, statistics, and data analysis. It is a programming language. The R language is platform-independent, so that we can use it for any operating system. The installation of R is also free, so we can use it without buying a license.

Keep reading if you’re still stumped by the question “How to convert decimal to Datetime Format in R“. The above options are the most practical.

If you still require assistance or have problems, we have a large community where everyone is generally eager to assist. Last but not least, we wish all users an effective day full of new code solutions.