From 1fb3f4c3d0dc09344256c79b32188dfb93ddbacd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Arindam Sikder <88596876+arindamsikder@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:21:22 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] docs: explain timestamp and asctime formatting

---
 docs/time.md | 112 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 mkdocs.yml   |   1 +
 2 files changed, 113 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/time.md

diff --git a/docs/time.md b/docs/time.md
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+# Logging Time
+
+Python JSON Logger supports two ways to include the time a log record was created:
+
+| Option | How to enable it | Default representation |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `timestamp` | Pass `timestamp=True` to the formatter | A UTC datetime serialized by the JSON encoder |
+| `asctime` | Include `%(asctime)s` in the format | A local-time string formatted by Python's `logging.Formatter` |
+
+Neither is included by default. Both use the record's creation time, not the time at which a handler formats it.
+
+## UTC timestamps
+
+Use `timestamp=True` for a UTC timestamp without customizing the standard library's time formatter. With `pythonjsonlogger.json.JsonFormatter` and its default encoder, the result is an ISO 8601 string, **not** a Unix epoch number. Fractional seconds are included when nonzero.
+
+The examples below use a record with a fixed creation time so that the output is reproducible. In an application, attach the formatter to a handler as shown in the [quick start](quickstart.md).
+
+```python
+import logging
+
+from pythonjsonlogger.json import JsonFormatter
+
+record = logging.makeLogRecord(
+    {"msg": "Hello", "args": (), "created": 1500000000.125, "msecs": 125.0}
+)
+formatter = JsonFormatter(timestamp=True)
+print(formatter.format(record))
+```
+
+```json
+{"message": "Hello", "timestamp": "2017-07-14T02:40:00.125000+00:00"}
+```
+
+Pass a nonempty string to choose a different output field name:
+
+```python
+formatter = JsonFormatter(timestamp="time")
+print(formatter.format(record))
+```
+
+```json
+{"message": "Hello", "time": "2017-07-14T02:40:00.125000+00:00"}
+```
+
+The field does not need to appear in `fmt`. Conversely, including `%(timestamp)s` in `fmt` does **not** enable timestamp generation. Without `timestamp=True` or a value supplied on the record, it produces `null`:
+
+```python
+formatter = JsonFormatter("%(message)s %(timestamp)s")
+print(formatter.format(record))
+```
+
+```json
+{"message": "Hello", "timestamp": null}
+```
+
+The formatter adds an aware UTC `datetime` to the data before JSON serialization. Other encoders or a custom encoder may represent that datetime differently. Neither `datefmt` nor `converter` changes this value.
+
+## Standard-library time formatting with `asctime`
+
+Use `asctime` when you need the standard library's `datefmt` or `converter` behavior. By default, `logging.Formatter` uses local time and a format such as `2017-07-14 02:40:00,125`.
+
+Set `converter` to `time.gmtime` for UTC. The following example reuses the record above and sets UTC explicitly so that its output does not depend on the machine's local time zone:
+
+```python
+import time
+
+formatter = JsonFormatter("%(message)s %(asctime)s", datefmt="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+formatter.converter = time.gmtime
+print(formatter.format(record))
+```
+
+```json
+{"message": "Hello", "asctime": "2017-07-14T02:40:00Z"}
+```
+
+`datefmt` uses [`time.strftime`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/time.html#time.strftime), not `datetime.strftime`. In particular, `%f` is not supported for formatting fractional seconds here. A supplied `datefmt` replaces the default time format, including its automatic millisecond suffix. For further customization, override [`logging.Formatter.formatTime`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/logging.html#logging.Formatter.formatTime).
+
+Renaming `asctime` with `rename_fields={"asctime": "timestamp"}` only changes its field name; it does not turn the formatted string into a UTC datetime. You can enable both `asctime` and `timestamp`, but give them distinct output names: a generated timestamp overwrites an earlier value using the same output key, including a renamed `asctime` field.
+
+## Configure timestamps with `dictConfig`
+
+No custom formatter subclass is needed to enable `timestamp` through [`logging.config.dictConfig`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/logging.config.html#logging.config.dictConfig). Pass it as a formatter option alongside `format`:
+
+```python
+import logging.config
+
+logging.config.dictConfig(
+    {
+        "version": 1,
+        "disable_existing_loggers": False,
+        "formatters": {
+            "json": {
+                "()": "pythonjsonlogger.json.JsonFormatter",
+                "format": "%(levelname)s %(message)s",
+                "timestamp": True,
+            }
+        },
+        "handlers": {
+            "console": {
+                "class": "logging.StreamHandler",
+                "formatter": "json",
+            }
+        },
+        "loggers": {
+            "example": {"handlers": ["console"], "level": "INFO", "propagate": False}
+        },
+    }
+)
+logging.getLogger("example").info("Hello")
+```
+
+This emits `levelname`, `message`, and `timestamp`; the timestamp reflects the actual log record's creation time. Use `"timestamp": "time"` instead to select a different key. In a YAML configuration loaded for `dictConfig`, use `timestamp: true` (a boolean), not `timestamp: "true"` (which selects the field name `"true"`).
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 47003c1..8a52229 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ watch:
 nav:
   - "Home": index.md
   - quickstart.md
+  - time.md
   - cookbook.md
   - changelog.md
   - security.md