Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind JavaScript Set Date Methods?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Complete the missing token from the example code.
___ d = new Date("January 01, 2025");Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
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 (yyyy) |
| 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("January 01, 2025");
d.setFullYear(2020);The setFullYear() method can optionally set month and day:
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
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("January 01, 2025");
d.setMonth(11);The setDate() Method
The setDate() method sets the day of a date object (1-31):
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
d.setDate(15);The setDate() method can also be used to add days to a date:
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
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("January 01, 2025");
d.setHours(22);The setHours() method can also be used to set minutes and seconds.
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
d.setHours(22, 10, 20);The setMinutes() Method
The setMinutes() method sets the minutes of a date object (0-59):
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
d.setMinutes(30);The setSeconds() Method
The setSeconds() method sets the seconds of a date object (0-59):
Example
const d = new Date("January 01, 2025");
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.
Learn More
JavaScript Date Formats
JavaScript Date Get Methods
JavaScript Date Reference