How To Get JavaScript Current Year In 4 Different Methods

One common task that web developers often encounter is retrieving the current year using JavaScript.

In this guide, we will explore various methods and techniques to obtain the current year using JavaScript, ensuring that you have the knowledge and skills to implement this functionality seamlessly into your web projects.

Why getting Current Year in Javascript is Important?

Knowing the current year using JavaScript is significant as it enables developers to interact with dates and time in a dynamic manner.

Here are some reasons why it’s essential:

1. Dynamic Content and Date Handling

Websites often display dynamic content that depends on the current year.

For example, a website might display the current year in the footer or use it to calculate time differences between dates.

By obtaining the current year in JavaScript, developers can ensure that the displayed content is always up-to-date.

2. Copyright and Legal Information:

Another reason is many websites include copyright information in their footer, which includes the current year.

Automatically updating the year using JavaScript eliminates the need for manual updates each year, reducing the chances of human error.

3. Form Validation

JavaScript can be used for form validation on websites, and sometimes developers need to validate input based on specific date ranges, such as checking if a user’s birth year is valid.

Having the current year allows for easier validation of these inputs.

4. Event Scheduling and Reminders

Web applications often involve scheduling events or setting reminders.

By knowing the current year, developers can ensure that events are scheduled accurately and that reminders are triggered at the right times.

5. Date Calculations

JavaScript allows developers to perform various date calculations.

For instance, finding the difference between two dates or determining the number of days until a certain date.

The current year is a fundamental component of these calculations.

6. Seasonal and Time-Sensitive Content:

Websites may display seasonal content or promotions that change based on the time of the year.

By obtaining the current year, developers can manage the display of such content dynamically.

JavaScript Current Year Syntax

In JavaScript, extracting the current year can be accomplished by utilizing the Date object.

Here’s an example of the syntax:

const currentYear = new Date().getFullYear();

How to get current year in JavaScript?

To obtain the current year using JavaScript, you have several options at your disposal.

Let’s delve into each method and understand how they work.

Method 1: Using the Date Object

One simple and effective way to fetch the current year in JavaScript is by utilizing the built-in Date object.

The Date object provides several methods to extract specific information, including the year.

Here’s an example:

const currentDate = new Date();
const currentYear = currentDate.getFullYear();
console.log(currentYear)

In the code snippet above, we create a new Date object called currentDate.

Then, we use the getFullYear() method to retrieve the current year and store it in the currentYear variable.

This method returns a four-digit representation of the year, such as 2023.

Method 2: Using the getFullYear() Method

One of the simplest ways to get the current year in JavaScript is by utilizing the getFullYear() method.

This method is available on the JavaScript Date object, which represents a specific date and time.

Here’s an example code snippet that demonstrates how to use the getFullYear() method:

const currentDate = new Date();
const currentYear = currentDate.getFullYear();

console.log(currentYear);

Output:

In the above code, we create a new Date object named currentDate and then call the getFullYear() method on it to obtain the current year.

The year is then stored in the currentYear variable and displayed using console.log().

Method 3: Using the toLocaleString() Method

Another approach to getting the current year is by utilizing the toLocaleString() method, which is available on the JavaScript Date object.

This method allows you to format the date and extract specific components, such as the year.

Consider the following example:

const currentDate = new Date();
const currentYear = currentDate.toLocaleString('en-US', { year: 'numeric' });

console.log(currentYear);

Output:

In this code snippet, we create a new Date object named currentDate and then call the toLocaleString() method on it.

By passing the ‘en-US’ locale and { year: ‘numeric’ } as options, we specify that we want to retrieve the year in a numeric format.

The resulting year is stored in the currentYear variable and displayed using console.log().

Method 4: Using the moment.js Library

If you prefer a more powerful and flexible solution for handling dates and times in JavaScript, you can utilize the popular moment.js library.

Additionally, moment.js provides a wide range of functionalities, including retrieving the current year with ease.

To use moment.js, you first need to install it by including the library in your project.

Once installed, you can retrieve the current year as follows:

const currentYear = moment().format('YYYY');

console.log(currentYear);

In this code snippet, we utilize the moment() function, which returns a moment object representing the current date and time.

We then call the format() method on the moment object, specifying the ‘YYYY’ format to extract the current year.

The resulting year is stored in the currentYear variable and displayed using console.log().

Here are additional resources you can check out to help you master JavaScript.

Conclusion

To summarize, obtaining the current year in JavaScript is a common requirement in web development.

It allows for dynamic content, copyright updates, form validation, event scheduling, date calculations, and managing time-sensitive content.

Additionally, methods to do this include using the Date object, getFullYear(), toLocaleString(), or the moment.js library.