Getting timestamp from mongodb id

Question

How do I get the timestamp from the MongoDB id?

Just as an FYI, the second answer should probably be the accepted answer. It's implemented in any JS driver that uses the native MongoDB JS Driver (which is all of them that I know of). — AlbertEngelB, Feb 06 '14 at 20:38
I don't agree Dropped.on.Caprica, the accepted answer doesn't require you to have any library to get the date, so for me it's better — Louie Almeda, Mar 21 '17 at 07:43
I'n my case I had to do the timestamp parsing on the client side, and not where the JS driver for MongoDB resided, so for me also the currently accepted answer is the best one. But it's nice to know about the * `getTimestamp` as well, so +1 to both :) — Øyvind Bråthen, Feb 20 '18 at 09:33

score 141 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 23 '11 at 12:06

141

The timestamp is contained in the first 4 bytes of a mongoDB id (see: http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Object+IDs).

So your timestamp is:

timestamp = _id.toString().substring(0,8)

and

date = new Date( parseInt( timestamp, 16 ) * 1000 )

answered Jun 23 '11 at 12:06

Kolja

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score 69 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 25 '13 at 22:27

69

As of Mongo 2.2, this has changed (see: http://docs.mongodb.org/manual/core/object-id/)

You can do this all in one step inside of the mongo shell:

document._id.getTimestamp();

This will return a Date object.

answered Feb 25 '13 at 22:27

Chris Lynch

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Also python: `document_id.generation_time` – Joe May 22 '14 at 11:24
And PHP `$doc['_id']->getTimestamp();` – Lucky Soni Dec 27 '16 at 12:04
This not more to the point, as OP did not specify the environment. In a plain JS frontend environment without any libraries and the mere hex string available, Kolja's answer is more helpful. Both answers are good. – phil294 Aug 20 '19 at 12:59

score 42 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 03 '20 at 19:41

Get the timestamp from a mongoDB collection item, with walkthrough:

The timestamp is buried deep within the bowels of the mongodb object.

Login to mongodb shell

ubuntu@ip-10-0-1-223:~$ mongo 10.0.1.223
MongoDB shell version: 2.4.9
connecting to: 10.0.1.223/test

Create your database by inserting items

> db.penguins.insert({"penguin": "skipper"})
> db.penguins.insert({"penguin": "kowalski"})
>

Check if it is there:

> show dbs
local      0.078125GB
penguins   0.203125GB

Lets make that database the one we are on now

> use penguins
switched to db penguins

Get yourself an ISODate:

> ISODate("2013-03-01")
ISODate("2013-03-01T00:00:00Z")

Print some json:

> printjson({"foo":"bar"})
{ "foo" : "bar" }

Get the rows back:

> db.penguins.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5498da1bf83a61f58ef6c6d5"), "penguin" : "skipper" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5498da28f83a61f58ef6c6d6"), "penguin" : "kowalski" }

We only want to inspect one row

> db.penguins.findOne()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5498da1bf83a61f58ef6c6d5"), "penguin" : "skipper" }

Get the _id of that row:

> db.penguins.findOne()._id
ObjectId("5498da1bf83a61f58ef6c6d5")

Get the timestamp from the _id object:

> db.penguins.findOne()._id.getTimestamp()
ISODate("2014-12-23T02:57:31Z")

Get the timestamp of the last added record:

> db.penguins.find().sort({_id:-1}).limit(1).forEach(function (doc){ print(doc._id.getTimestamp()) })
Tue Dec 23 2014 03:04:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)

Example loop, print strings:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ print("hi") })
hi
hi

Example loop, same as find(), print the rows

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ printjson(doc) })
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbc9f83a61f58ef6c6d7"), "penguin" : "skipper" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbd5f83a61f58ef6c6d8"), "penguin" : "kowalski" }

Loop, get the system date:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ doc["timestamp_field"] = new Date(); printjson(doc); })
{
        "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbc9f83a61f58ef6c6d7"),
        "penguin" : "skipper",
        "timestamp_field" : ISODate("2014-12-23T03:15:56.257Z")
}
{
        "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbd5f83a61f58ef6c6d8"),
        "penguin" : "kowalski",
        "timestamp_field" : ISODate("2014-12-23T03:15:56.258Z")
}

Loop, get the date of each row:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ doc["timestamp_field"] = doc._id.getTimestamp(); printjson(doc); })
{
        "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbc9f83a61f58ef6c6d7"),
        "penguin" : "skipper",
        "timestamp_field" : ISODate("2014-12-23T03:04:41Z")
}
{
        "_id" : ObjectId("5498dbd5f83a61f58ef6c6d8"),
        "penguin" : "kowalski",
        "timestamp_field" : ISODate("2014-12-23T03:04:53Z")
}

Filter down to just the dates

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ doc["timestamp_field"] = doc._id.getTimestamp(); printjson(doc["timestamp_field"]); })
ISODate("2014-12-23T03:04:41Z")
ISODate("2014-12-23T03:04:53Z")

Filterdown further for just the strings:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ doc["timestamp_field"] = doc._id.getTimestamp(); print(doc["timestamp_field"]) })
Tue Dec 23 2014 03:04:41 GMT+0000 (UTC)
Tue Dec 23 2014 03:04:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)

Print a bare date, get its type, assign a date:

> print(new Date())
Tue Dec 23 2014 03:30:49 GMT+0000 (UTC)
> typeof new Date()
object
> new Date("11/21/2012");
ISODate("2012-11-21T00:00:00Z")

Convert instance of date to yyyy-MM-dd

> print(d.getFullYear()+"-"+(d.getMonth()+1)+"-"+d.getDate())
2014-1-1

get it in yyyy-MM-dd format for each row:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ d = doc._id.getTimestamp(); print(d.getFullYear()+"-"+(d.getMonth()+1)+"-"+d.getDate()) })
2014-12-23
2014-12-23

the toLocaleDateString is briefer:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ d = doc._id.getTimestamp(); print(d.toLocaleDateString()) })
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Get each row in yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss format:

> db.penguins.find().forEach(function (doc){ d = doc._id.getTimestamp(); print(d.getFullYear()+"-"+(d.getMonth()+1)+"-"+d.getDate() + " " + d.getHours() + ":" + d.getMinutes() + ":" + d.getSeconds()) })
2014-12-23 3:4:41
2014-12-23 3:4:53

Get the date of the last added row:

> db.penguins.find().sort({_id:-1}).limit(1).forEach(function (doc){ print(doc._id.getTimestamp()) })
Tue Dec 23 2014 03:04:53 GMT+0000 (UTC)

Drop the database when you are done:

> use penguins
switched to db penguins
> db.dropDatabase()
{ "dropped" : "penguins", "ok" : 1 }

Make sure it's gone:

> show dbs
local   0.078125GB
test    (empty)

Now your MongoDB is webscale.

While perhaps interesting, the only part of this answer that addresses the question is "Get the timestamp from the _id object"... — ZachB, Jan 26 '16 at 21:07
thank you! `forEach` is what I'm looking for to manipulate the resulting docs from the `find` function — asgs, Jan 19 '22 at 14:49

score 7 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 11 '15 at 15:38

7

Here is a quick php function for you all ;)

public static function makeDate($mongoId) {

    $timestamp = intval(substr($mongoId, 0, 8), 16);

    $datum = (new DateTime())->setTimestamp($timestamp);

    return $datum->format('d/m/Y');
}

answered Jan 11 '15 at 15:38

webmaster

1,960
24
29

how can i do this in spring boot – Youssef Boudaya Jul 06 '21 at 08:46

score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 19 '16 at 17:54

In the server side make _id of MongoDB ObjectId

date = new Date( parseInt( _id.toString().substring(0,8), 16 ) * 1000 )

And on the client side use

var dateFromObjectId = function (objectId) {
return new Date(parseInt(objectId.substring(0, 8), 16) * 1000);
};

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Jun 17 '20 at 13:01

If you need to get timestamp from MongoID in a GoLang:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/pkg/errors"
    "strconv"
)

const (
    mongoIDLength = 24
)

var ErrInvalidMongoID = errors.New("invalid mongoID provided")

func main() {
    s, err := ExtractTimestampFromMongoID("5eea13924a04cb4b58fe31e3")
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Print(err)
        return
    }

    fmt.Printf("%T, %v\n", s, s)

    // convert to usual int
    usualInt := int(s)

    fmt.Printf("%T, %v\n", usualInt, usualInt)
}

func ExtractTimestampFromMongoID(mongoID string) (int64, error) {
    if len(mongoID) != mongoIDLength {
        return 0, errors.WithStack(ErrInvalidMongoID)
    }

    s, err := strconv.ParseInt(mongoID[0:8], 16, 0)
    if err != nil {
        return 0, err
    }

    return s, nil
}

Playground: https://play.golang.org/p/lB9xSCmsP8I

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Oct 07 '21 at 04:17

3

Use $convert method like:

db.Items.find({}, { creationTime: {"$convert":{"input":"$_id", "to":"date"}}});

answered Oct 07 '21 at 04:17

Mohammed Osman

3,688
2
27
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score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Nov 18 '20 at 07:18

2

From the official documentation:

ObjectId('mongodbIdGoesHere').getTimestamp();

edited Nov 18 '20 at 07:18

Cody Gray - on strike

239,200
50
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answered Dec 24 '19 at 17:47

Alok Deshwal

1,128
9
20

how can i do this in spring boot DTO class – Youssef Boudaya Jul 06 '21 at 08:47
Please check this link if works for you [Click Here](https://www.codota.com/code/java/methods/org.bson.types.ObjectId/getTimestamp) – Alok Deshwal Jul 06 '21 at 10:43

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Sep 04 '20 at 07:51

0

Find on mongoDB

db.books.find({}).limit(10).map(function (v) {
 let data = v
 data.my_date = v._id.getTimestamp()
 return data
})

answered Sep 04 '20 at 07:51

Infomaster

793
7
8

Getting timestamp from mongodb id

9 Answers9

Get the timestamp from a mongoDB collection item, with walkthrough:

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