How to Exclude the "m" Indicator in Go Timestamps

In Go, the time.Now() function returns a timestamp with a trailing "m" suffix that represents the monotonic clock reading. This suffix can be removed for specific use cases where it is not necessary.

Meaning of "m"

The "m" suffix denotes the distance between the wall clock and monotonic clock readings, expressed in decimal seconds. The wall clock is adjusted to maintain accurate timekeeping with external sources, while the monotonic clock increments steadily without interruptions.

Removing the "m" Suffix

To remove the "m" suffix, use the Round method on the timestamp. Passing an argument of 0 to Round strips the monotonic clock reading without altering the rest of the timestamp.

t := time.Now()
t = t.Round(0)
fmt.Println(t) // Output: 2009-11-10 23:00:00  0000 UTC

Alternative Methods

In addition to Round, there are other ways to obtain a timestamp without the "m" suffix:

• Use the Format method with a custom format string:

t := time.Now()
fmt.Println(t.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05  0000")) // Output: 2009-11-10 23:00:00  0000

• Import the time/x package and use the DateTime type:

import "time/x"

t := x.DateTime{}
fmt.Println(t) // Output: 2009-11-10 23:00:00  0000

The "m" suffix removal is useful when working with timestamps that require precision without the additional information provided by the monotonic clock reading. By using Round or alternative methods, developers can obtain timestamps that meet their specific needs.