Date.prototype.toString()

The toString() method returns a string representing the specified Date object.

Syntax

dateObj.toString()

Parameters

None.

Description

The Date object overrides the toString() method of the Object object; it does not inherit Object.prototype.toString(). For Date objects, the toString() method returns a string representation of the object.

The toString() method always returns a string representation of the date in American English.

JavaScript calls the toString() method automatically when a date is to be represented as a text value or when a date is referred to in a string concatenation.

toString() is a generic method. If this is not a Date instance, it returns "Invalid Date".

Examples

Using toString()

The following assigns the toString() value of a Date object to myVar:

var x = new Date();
myVar = x.toString(); // assigns a value to myVar similar to:
// Mon Sep 28 1998 14:36:22 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
ECMAScript 1st Edition (ECMA-262) Standard Initial definition. Implemented in JavaScript 1.0.
ECMAScript 5.1 (ECMA-262)
The definition of 'Date.prototype.toLocaleTimeString' in that specification.
Standard  
ECMAScript 2015 (6th Edition, ECMA-262)
The definition of 'Date.prototype.toString' in that specification.
Standard  
ECMAScript 2017 Draft (ECMA-262)
The definition of 'Date.prototype.toString' in that specification.
Draft  

Browser compatibility

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes)
Generic method ? 41 (41) ? ? ?
Feature Android Chrome for Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) IE Mobile Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes)
Generic method ? ? 41.0 (41) ? ? ?

See also

Document Tags and Contributors

 Contributors to this page: fscholz, arai, Mingun, Sheppy, ethertank, evilpie, feystorm, Dikrib, Ptak82, Maian, Dria
 Last updated by: fscholz,