Python – Generate k random dates between two other dates

Given two dates, the task is to write a Python program to get K dates randomly.

Input : test_date1, test_date2 = date(2015, 6, 3), date(2015, 7, 1), K = 7

Output : [datetime.date(2015, 6, 18), datetime.date(2015, 6, 25), datetime.date(2015, 6, 29), datetime.date(2015, 6, 11), datetime.date(2015, 6, 11), datetime.date(2015, 6, 10), datetime.date(2015, 6, 24)]

Explanation : 7 random dates starting from 3 June 2015 to 1 July 2015 are generated.

Input : test_date1, test_date2 = date(2015, 6, 3), date(2015, 8, 1), K = 6

Output : [datetime.date(2015, 6, 20), datetime.date(2015, 7, 22), datetime.date(2015, 6, 29), datetime.date(2015, 6, 18), datetime.date(2015, 6, 13), datetime.date(2015, 7, 14)]

Explanation : 6 random dates starting from 3 June 2015 to 1 August 2015 are generated.

Method #1 : Using choices() + loop + timedelta()

In this, we extract all dates in range using loop and timedelta() of 1-day difference. Among them K random dates are chosen using choices().

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate working of
# Random K dates in Range
# Using choices() + timedelta() + loop
from datetime import date, timedelta
from random import choices

# initializing dates ranges
test_date1, test_date2 = date(2015, 6, 3), date(2015, 7, 1)

# printing dates
print("The original range : " + str(test_date1) + " " + str(test_date2))

# initializing K
K = 7

res_dates = [test_date1]

# loop to get each date till end date
while test_date1 != test_date2:
    test_date1 += timedelta(days=1)
    res_dates.append(test_date1)

# random K dates from pack
res = choices(res_dates, k=K)

# printing
print("K random dates in range : " + str(res))

Output:

The original range : 2015-06-03 2015-07-01

K random dates in range : [datetime.date(2015, 6, 25), datetime.date(2015, 6, 10), datetime.date(2015, 6, 18), datetime.date(2015, 6, 7), datetime.date(2015, 6, 4), datetime.date(2015, 6, 16), datetime.date(2015, 6, 12)]

Method #2 : Using randrange() + timedelta() + loop

In this, a total number of days between ranges is extracted and that range is used to get elements K times, adding a random index number from start date extracted using randrange().

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate working of
# Random K dates in Range
# Using randrange() + timedelta() + loop
from datetime import date, timedelta
import random

# initializing dates ranges
test_date1, test_date2 = date(2015, 6, 3), date(2015, 7, 1)

# printing dates
print("The original range : " + str(test_date1) + " " + str(test_date2))

# initializing K
K = 7

# getting days between dates
dates_bet = test_date2 - test_date1
total_days = dates_bet.days

res = []
for idx in range(K):
    random.seed(a=None)

    # getting random days
    randay = random.randrange(total_days)

    # getting random dates
    res.append(test_date1 + timedelta(days=randay))

# printing
print("K random dates in range : " + str(res))

Output:

The original range : 2015-06-03 2015-07-01

K random dates in range : [datetime.date(2015, 6, 26), datetime.date(2015, 6, 5), datetime.date(2015, 6, 6), datetime.date(2015, 6, 18), datetime.date(2015, 6, 21), datetime.date(2015, 6, 15), datetime.date(2015, 6, 12)]