# std::time

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< cpp‎ | chrono‎ | c

Defined in header `<ctime>` |  |
std::time_t time( std::time_t* arg ); |  |

Returns the current calendar time encoded as a std::time_t object, and also stores it in the object pointed to by `arg`, unless `arg` is a null pointer.

### Parameters

arg | - | pointer to a std::time_t object to store the time, or a null pointer

### Return value

Current calendar time encoded as std::time_t object on success, (std::time_t)(-1) on error. If `arg` is not null, the return value is also stored in the object pointed to by `arg`.

### Notes

The encoding of calendar time in std::time_t is unspecified, but most systems conform to POSIX specification and return a value of integral type holding the number of seconds since the Epoch. Implementations in which std::time_t is a 32-bit signed integer (many historical implementations) fail in the year 2038.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <ctime>
    #include <iostream>

    int main()
    {
        std::time_t result = std::time(nullptr);
        std::cout << std::asctime(std::localtime(&result))
                  << result << " seconds since the Epoch\n";
    }

Output:

    Wed Sep 21 10:27:52 2011
    1316615272 seconds since the Epoch

### See also

localtime | converts time since epoch to calendar time expressed as local time (function)
gmtime | converts time since epoch to calendar time expressed as Universal Coordinated Time (function)
system_clock (C++11) | wall clock time from the system-wide realtime clock (class)
C documentation for time

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