How to insert a string(Fri Nov 19 16:23:54 +0800 2010) into a table field whose type is TIMESTAMP?
Question: I'm using Python and MYSQLdb to connect to Mysql. and now i need to insert a
string "Fri Nov 19 16:23:54 +0800 2010" into a field, how can i do?


Answer: You can parse that sting with Python `time.strptime()` method and then convert
it to string required by MySQL using `strftime()`. Unfortunately my Python 2.6
cannot handle `%z` directive, but you can check on your implementation that
code:

    
    
    import datetime
    
    def test_dt(d, f):
        dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(d, f)
        print('%s -> %s' % (d, dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z')))
        print('-' * 10)
    
    test_dt('Fri Nov 19 16:23:54 2010', '%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y')
    test_dt('Fri Nov 19 16:23:54 +8000 2010', '%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %z %Y')
    

If it fails with `%z` then think if you need that time zone, or if you can
remove it from string and apply it to `dt` object other way.

It seems that `%z` issue was reported and solved:
<http://bugs.python.org/issue6641>

