How to Manage Date and Datetime Fields in Odoo 18

Introduction

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Date and datetime fields are essential for recording important business events in Odoo 18. They can store just the date (without time) or the complete date with a timestamp. Knowing how to handle these fields ensures accurate scheduling, reporting, and automation.

Understanding Date vs Datetime in Odoo

• Date Field → Stores only the calendar date (YYYY-MM-DD) without time information.
• Datetime Field → Stores both the date and time (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS), adjusted to the user's timezone.

Example:

• 2025-08-11 → Date
• 2025-08-11 15:30:00 → Datetime

Defining Date and Datetime Fields in a Model

Example Python model:

from odoo import models, fields

class EventSchedule(models.Model):
    _name = 'custom.event.schedule'
    _description = 'Event Schedule'

    event_name = fields.Char(string='Event Name')
    event_date = fields.Date(string='Event Date')
    event_datetime = fields.Datetime(string='Event Date & Time')

• This creates a PostgreSQL table with separate columns for date and datetime.

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Setting Default Values

You can set defaults using fields.Date.today() or fields.Datetime.now():

event_date = fields.Date(string='Event Date', default=fields.Date.today)
event_datetime = fields.Datetime(string='Event Date & Time', default=fields.Datetime.now)

• This ensures records are created with the current date/time automatically.

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Inserting Date/Datetime Values with XML

Example XML file:

<odoo>
    <record id="event_launch" model="custom.event.schedule">
        <field name="event_name">Product Launch</field>
        <field name="event_date">2025-08-20</field>
        <field name="event_datetime">2025-08-20 14:00:00</field>
    </record>
</odoo>

• Place in data/ folder and include in manifest.py.

Using Python to Create Time-Based Records

Example Python script:

from odoo import api, SUPERUSER_ID, fields

def populate_event(env):
    env['custom.event.schedule'].create({
        'event_name': 'Annual Meeting',
        'event_date': fields.Date.today(),
        'event_datetime': fields.Datetime.now()
    })

Importing Date Fields with CSV

Example CSV file:

id,event_name,event_date,event_datetime
event_webinar, Webinar on Odoo, 2025-08-25, 2025-08-25 11:00:00
event_training, Training Session, 2025-08-30, 2025-08-30 15:00:00

• Make sure the date format matches Odoo’s expectations: YYYY-MM-DD for date and YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS for datetime.

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Timezone Considerations

FAQs

Q1. What’s the difference between Date and Datetime in Odoo 18?
A: Date stores only the calendar date, while Datetime stores both date and time.

Q2. Can I store only time without a date?
A: Odoo does not have a time-only field; you can use Datetime and ignore the date part.

Q3. How do I set the default date in a model?
A: Use default=fields.Date.today for date and default=fields.Datetime.now for datetime.

Q4. How does Odoo handle timezones?
A: Datetime values are stored in UTC and displayed in the user’s local timezone.

Q5. Can I update date fields using XML?
A: Yes, use the same record ID and update the field value in XML.