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JavaScript Set Date Methods

Set Date methods let you set date values (years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds) for a Date Object.

Set Date Methods

Set Date methods are used for setting a part of a date:

Method Description
setDate() Set the day as a number (1-31)
setFullYear() Set the year (optionally month and day)
setHours() Set the hour (0-23)
setMilliseconds() Set the milliseconds (0-999)
setMinutes() Set the minutes (0-59)
setMonth() Set the month (0-11)
setSeconds() Set the seconds (0-59)
setTime() Set the time (milliseconds since January 1, 1970)

The setFullYear() Method

The setFullYear() method sets the year of a date object. In this example to 2020:

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setFullYear(2020);

The setFullYear() method can optionally set month and day:

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setFullYear(2020, 11, 3);

The setMonth() Method

The setMonth() method sets the month of a date object (0-11):

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setMonth(11);

The setDate() Method

The setDate() method sets the day of a date object (1-31):

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setDate(15);

The setDate() method can also be used to add days to a date:

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setDate(d.getDate() + 50);

If adding days shifts the month or year, the changes are handled automatically by the Date object.

The setHours() Method

The setHours() method sets the hours of a date object (0-23):

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setHours(22);

The setMinutes() Method

The setMinutes() method sets the minutes of a date object (0-59):

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setMinutes(30);

The setSeconds() Method

The setSeconds() method sets the seconds of a date object (0-59):

Example

const d = new Date();
d.setSeconds(30);

Compare Dates

Dates can easily be compared.

The following example compares today's date with January 14, 2100:

Example

let text = "";
const today = new Date();
const someday = new Date();
someday.setFullYear(2100, 0, 14);

if (someday > today) {
  text = "Today is before January 14, 2100.";
} else {
  text = "Today is after January 14, 2100.";
}

JavaScript counts months from 0 to 11. January is 0. December is 11.

Complete JavaScript Date Reference

For a complete Date reference, go to our:

.

The reference contains descriptions and examples of all Date properties and methods.

Test Yourself With Exercises

Exercise:

Use the correct Date method to set the year of a date object to 2020.

const d = new Date();
d.;

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