str to time in python

Question

time1 = "2010-04-20 10:07:30"
time2 = "2010-04-21 10:07:30"

How to convert the above from string to time stamp?

I need to subtract the above timestamps time2-time1.

Answer 1

For Python 2.5+

from datetime import datetime
format = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'
print datetime.strptime(time2, format) - 
        datetime.strptime(time1, format)
# 1 day, 0:00:00

Edit: for Python 2.4

import time
format = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'
print time.mktime(time.strptime(time2, format)) - 
        time.mktime(time.strptime(time1, format))
# 86400.0