## Datepicker Widget version added: 1.0

Description: Select a date from a popup or inline calendar

## QuickNavExamples

The jQuery UI Datepicker is a highly configurable plugin that adds datepicker functionality to your pages. You can customize the date format and language, restrict the selectable date ranges and add in buttons and other navigation options easily.

By default, the datepicker calendar opens in a small overlay when the associated text field gains focus. For an inline calendar, simply attach the datepicker to a div or span.

### Keyboard interaction

While the datepicker is open, the following key commands are available:

- PAGE UP: Move to the previous month.
- PAGE DOWN: Move to the next month.
- CTRL+PAGE UP: Move to the previous year.
- CTRL+PAGE DOWN: Move to the next year.
- CTRL+HOME: Move to the current month. Open the datepicker if closed.
- CTRL+LEFT: Move to the previous day.
- CTRL+RIGHT: Move to the next day.
- CTRL+UP: Move to the previous week.
- CTRL+DOWN: Move the next week.
- ENTER: Select the focused date.
- CTRL+END: Close the datepicker and erase the date.
- ESCAPE: Close the datepicker without selection.

### Utility functions

#### $.datepicker.setDefaults( settings )

Change the default settings for all date pickers.

Use the `option()` method to change settings for individual instances.

Code examples:

Set all date pickers to open on focus or a click on an icon.

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    $.datepicker.setDefaults({  showOn: "both",  buttonImageOnly: true,  buttonImage: "calendar.gif",  buttonText: "Calendar"});

Set all date pickers to have French text.

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    $.datepicker.setDefaults( $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ] );

#### $.datepicker.formatDate( format, date, settings )

Format a date into a string value with a specified format.

The format can be combinations of the following:

- d - day of month (no leading zero)
- dd - day of month (two digit)
- o - day of the year (no leading zeros)
- oo - day of the year (three digit)
- D - day name short
- DD - day name long
- m - month of year (no leading zero)
- mm - month of year (two digit)
- M - month name short
- MM - month name long
- y - year (two digit)
- yy - year (four digit)
- @ - Unix timestamp (ms since 01/01/1970)
- ! - Windows ticks (100ns since 01/01/0001)
- '...' - literal text
- '' - single quote
- anything else - literal text

There are also a number of predefined standard date formats available from `$.datepicker`:

- ATOM - 'yy-mm-dd' (Same as RFC 3339/ISO 8601)
- COOKIE - 'D, dd M yy'
- ISO_8601 - 'yy-mm-dd'
- RFC_822 - 'D, d M y' (See RFC 822)
- RFC_850 - 'DD, dd-M-y' (See RFC 850)
- RFC_1036 - 'D, d M y' (See RFC 1036)
- RFC_1123 - 'D, d M yy' (See RFC 1123)
- RFC_2822 - 'D, d M yy' (See RFC 2822)
- RSS - 'D, d M y' (Same as RFC 822)
- TICKS - '!'
- TIMESTAMP - '@'
- W3C - 'yy-mm-dd' (Same as ISO 8601)

Code examples:

Display the date in ISO format. Produces "2007-01-26".

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    $.datepicker.formatDate( "yy-mm-dd", new Date( 2007, 1 - 1, 26 ) );

Display the date in expanded French format. Produces "Samedi, Juillet 14, 2007".

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    $.datepicker.formatDate( "DD, MM d, yy", new Date( 2007, 7 - 1, 14 ), {  dayNamesShort: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].dayNamesShort,  dayNames: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].dayNames,  monthNamesShort: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].monthNamesShort,  monthNames: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].monthNames});

#### $.datepicker.parseDate( format, value, settings )

Extract a date from a string value with a specified format.

The format can be combinations of the following:

- d - day of month (no leading zero)
- dd - day of month (two digit)
- o - day of year (no leading zeros)
- oo - day of year (three digit)
- D - day name short
- DD - day name long
- m - month of year (no leading zero)
- mm - month of year (two digit)
- M - month name short
- MM - month name long
- y - year (two digit)
- yy - year (four digit)
- @ - Unix timestamp (ms since 01/01/1970)
- ! - Windows ticks (100ns since 01/01/0001)
- '...' - literal text
- '' - single quote
- anything else - literal text

A number of exceptions may be thrown:

- 'Invalid arguments' if either format or value is null
- 'Missing number at position nn' if format indicated a numeric value that is not then found
- 'Unknown name at position nn' if format indicated day or month name that is not then found
- 'Unexpected literal at position nn' if format indicated a literal value that is not then found
- 'Invalid date' if the date is invalid, such as '31/02/2007'

Code examples:

Extract a date in ISO format.

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    $.datepicker.parseDate( "yy-mm-dd", "2007-01-26" );

Extract a date in expanded French format.

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    $.datepicker.parseDate( "DD, MM d, yy", "Samedi, Juillet 14, 2007", {  shortYearCuroff: 20,  dayNamesShort: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].dayNamesShort,  dayNames: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].dayNames,  monthNamesShort: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].monthNamesShort,  monthNames: $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ].monthNames});

#### $.datepicker.iso8601Week( date )

Determine the week of the year for a given date: 1 to 53.

This function uses the ISO 8601 definition of a week: weeks start on a Monday and the first week of the year contains January 4. This means that up to three days from the previous year may be included in the of first week of the current year, and that up to three days from the current year may be included in the last week of the previous year.

This function is the default implementation for the `calculateWeek` option.

Code examples:

Find the week of the year for a date.

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    $.datepicker.iso8601Week( new Date( 2007, 1 - 1, 26 ) );

#### $.datepicker.noWeekends

Set as beforeShowDay function to prevent selection of weekends.

We can provide the `noWeekends()` function into the `beforeShowDay` option which will calculate all the weekdays and provide an array of `true`/`false` values indicating whether a date is selectable.

Code examples:

Set the DatePicker so no weekend is selectable

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    $( "#datepicker" ).datepicker({  beforeShowDay: $.datepicker.noWeekends});

### Localization

Datepicker provides support for localizing its content to cater for different languages and date formats. Each localization is contained within its own file with the language code appended to the name, e.g., `jquery.ui.datepicker-fr.js` for French. The desired localization file should be included after the main datepicker code. Each localization file adds its settings to the set of available localizations and automatically applies them as defaults for all instances.

The `$.datepicker.regional` attribute holds an array of localizations, indexed by language code, with `""` referring to the default (English). Each entry is an object with the following attributes: `closeText`, `prevText`, `nextText`, `currentText`, `monthNames`, `monthNamesShort`, `dayNames`, `dayNamesShort`, `dayNamesMin`, `weekHeader`, `dateFormat`, `firstDay`, `isRTL`, `showMonthAfterYear`, and `yearSuffix`.

You can restore the default localizations with:

`$.datepicker.setDefaults( $.datepicker.regional[ "" ] );`

And can then override an individual datepicker for a specific locale:

`$( selector ).datepicker( $.datepicker.regional[ "fr" ] );`

### Dependencies

- UI Core
- Effects Core (optional; for use with the `showAnim` option)

### Additional Notes:

- This widget requires some functional CSS, otherwise it won't work. If you build a custom theme, use the widget's specific CSS file as a starting point.

## Options

### altFieldType: Selector or jQuery or Element

Default: `""`
An input element that is to be updated with the selected date from the datepicker. Use the `altFormat` option to change the format of the date within this field. Leave as blank for no alternate field.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `altField` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ altField: "#actualDate" });

Get or set the `altField` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar altField = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "altField" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "altField", "#actualDate" );

### altFormatType: String

Default: `""`
The `dateFormat` to be used for the `altField` option. This allows one date format to be shown to the user for selection purposes, while a different format is actually sent behind the scenes. For a full list of the possible formats see the [[UI/Datepicker/formatDate|formatDate]] function
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `altFormat` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ altFormat: "yy-mm-dd" });

Get or set the `altFormat` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar altFormat = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "altFormat" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "altFormat", "yy-mm-dd" );

### appendTextType: String

Default: `""`
The text to display after each date field, e.g., to show the required format.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `appendText` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ appendText: "(yyyy-mm-dd)" });

Get or set the `appendText` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar appendText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "appendText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "appendText", "(yyyy-mm-dd)" );

### autoSizeType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Set to `true` to automatically resize the input field to accommodate dates in the current `dateFormat`.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `autoSize` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ autoSize: true });

Get or set the `autoSize` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar autoSize = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "autoSize" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "autoSize", true );

### beforeShowType: Function( Element input, Object inst )

Default: `null`
A function that takes an input field and current datepicker instance and returns an options object to update the datepicker with. It is called just before the datepicker is displayed.

### beforeShowDayType: Function( Date date )

Default: `null`
A function takes a date as a parameter and must return an array with `[0]` equal to `true`/`false` indicating whether or not this date is selectable, `[1]` equal to a CSS class name or `""` for the default presentation, and `[2]` an optional popup tooltip for this date. It is called for each day in the datepicker before it is displayed.

### buttonImageType: String

Default: `""`
The URL for the popup button image. If set, the `buttonText` option becomes the `alt` value and is not directly displayed.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `buttonImage` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ buttonImage: "/images/datepicker.gif" });

Get or set the `buttonImage` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar buttonImage = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonImage" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonImage", "/images/datepicker.gif" );

### buttonImageOnlyType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether the button image should be rendered by itself instead of inside a button element.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `buttonImageOnly` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ buttonImageOnly: true });

Get or set the `buttonImageOnly` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar buttonImageOnly = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonImageOnly" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonImageOnly", true );

### buttonTextType: String

Default: `"..."`
The text to display on the trigger button. Use in conjunction with the `showOn` option set to `"button"` or `"both"`.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `buttonText` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ buttonText: "Choose" });

Get or set the `buttonText` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar buttonText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "buttonText", "Choose" );

### calculateWeekType: Function()

Default: `jQuery.datepicker.iso8601Week`
A function to calculate the week of the year for a given date. The default implementation uses the ISO 8601 definition: weeks start on a Monday; the first week of the year contains the first Thursday of the year.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `calculateWeek` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ calculateWeek: myWeekCalc });

Get or set the `calculateWeek` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar calculateWeek = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "calculateWeek" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "calculateWeek", myWeekCalc );

### changeMonthType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether the month should be rendered as a dropdown instead of text.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `changeMonth` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ changeMonth: true });

Get or set the `changeMonth` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar changeMonth = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "changeMonth" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "changeMonth", true );

### changeYearType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether the year should be rendered as a dropdown instead of text. Use the `yearRange` option to control which years are made available for selection.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `changeYear` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ changeYear: true });

Get or set the `changeYear` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar changeYear = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "changeYear" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "changeYear", true );

### closeTextType: String

Default: `"Done"`
The text to display for the close link. Use the `showButtonPanel` option to display this button.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `closeText` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ closeText: "Close" });

Get or set the `closeText` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar closeText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "closeText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "closeText", "Close" );

### constrainInputType: Boolean

Default: `true`
When `true`, entry in the input field is constrained to those characters allowed by the current `dateFormat` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `constrainInput` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ constrainInput: false });

Get or set the `constrainInput` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar constrainInput = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "constrainInput" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "constrainInput", false );

### currentTextType: String

Default: `"Today"`
The text to display for the current day link. Use the `showButtonPanel` option to display this button.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `currentText` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ currentText: "Now" });

Get or set the `currentText` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar currentText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "currentText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "currentText", "Now" );

### dateFormatType: String

Default: `"mm/dd/yy"`
The format for parsed and displayed dates. For a full list of the possible formats see the `[[UI/Datepicker/formatDate|formatDate]]` function.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `dateFormat` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ dateFormat: "yy-mm-dd" });

Get or set the `dateFormat` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar dateFormat = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dateFormat" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dateFormat", "yy-mm-dd" );

### dayNamesType: Array

Default: `[ "Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday" ]`
The list of long day names, starting from Sunday, for use as requested via the `dateFormat` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `dayNames` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ dayNames: [ "Dimanche", "Lundi", "Mardi", "Mercredi", "Jeudi", "Vendredi", "Samedi" ] });

Get or set the `dayNames` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar dayNames = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNames" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNames", [ "Dimanche", "Lundi", "Mardi", "Mercredi", "Jeudi", "Vendredi", "Samedi" ] );

### dayNamesMinType: Array

Default: `[ "Su", "Mo", "Tu", "We", "Th", "Fr", "Sa" ]`
The list of minimised day names, starting from Sunday, for use as column headers within the datepicker.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `dayNamesMin` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ dayNamesMin: [ "Di", "Lu", "Ma", "Me", "Je", "Ve", "Sa" ] });

Get or set the `dayNamesMin` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar dayNamesMin = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNamesMin" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNamesMin", [ "Di", "Lu", "Ma", "Me", "Je", "Ve", "Sa" ] );

### dayNamesShortType: Array

Default: `[ "Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat" ]`
The list of abbreviated day names, starting from Sunday, for use as requested via the `dateFormat` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `dayNamesShort` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ dayNamesShort: [ "Dim", "Lun", "Mar", "Mer", "Jeu", "Ven", "Sam" ] });

Get or set the `dayNamesShort` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar dayNamesShort = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNamesShort" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "dayNamesShort", [ "Dim", "Lun", "Mar", "Mer", "Jeu", "Ven", "Sam" ] );

### defaultDateType: Date or Number or String

Default: `null`
Set the date to highlight on first opening if the field is blank. Specify either an actual date via a Date object or as a string in the current `[[UI/Datepicker#option-dateFormat|dateFormat]]`, or a number of days from today (e.g. +7) or a string of values and periods ('y' for years, 'm' for months, 'w' for weeks, 'd' for days, e.g. '+1m +7d'), or null for today.
Multiple types supported:

- Date: A date object containing the default date.
- Number: A number of days from today. For example `2` represents two days from today and `-1` represents yesterday.
- String: A string in the format defined by the `dateFormat` option, or a relative date. Relative dates must contain value and period pairs; valid periods are `"y"` for years, `"m"` for months, `"w"` for weeks, and `"d"` for days. For example, `"+1m +7d"` represents one month and seven days from today.

Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `defaultDate` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ defaultDate: +7 });

Get or set the `defaultDate` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar defaultDate = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "defaultDate" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "defaultDate", +7 );

### durationType: or String

Default: `"normal"`
Control the speed at which the datepicker appears, it may be a time in milliseconds or a string representing one of the three predefined speeds ("slow", "normal", "fast").
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `duration` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ duration: "slow" });

Get or set the `duration` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar duration = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "duration" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "duration", "slow" );

### firstDayType: Integer

Default: `0`
Set the first day of the week: Sunday is `0`, Monday is `1`, etc.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `firstDay` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ firstDay: 1 });

Get or set the `firstDay` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar firstDay = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "firstDay" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "firstDay", 1 );

### gotoCurrentType: Boolean

Default: `false`
When `true`, the current day link moves to the currently selected date instead of today.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `gotoCurrent` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ gotoCurrent: true });

Get or set the `gotoCurrent` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar gotoCurrent = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "gotoCurrent" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "gotoCurrent", true );

### hideIfNoPrevNextType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Normally the previous and next links are disabled when not applicable (see the `minDate` and `maxDate` options). You can hide them altogether by setting this attribute to `true`.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `hideIfNoPrevNext` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ hideIfNoPrevNext: true });

Get or set the `hideIfNoPrevNext` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar hideIfNoPrevNext = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "hideIfNoPrevNext" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "hideIfNoPrevNext", true );

### isRTLType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether the current language is drawn from right to left.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `isRTL` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ isRTL: true });

Get or set the `isRTL` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar isRTL = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "isRTL" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "isRTL", true );

### maxDateType: Date or Number or String

Default: `null`
The maximum selectable date. When set to `null`, there is no maximum.
Multiple types supported:

- Date: A date object containing the maximum date.
- Number: A number of days from today. For example `2` represents two days from today and `-1` represents yesterday.
- String: A string in the format defined by the `dateFormat` option, or a relative date. Relative dates must contain value and period pairs; valid periods are `"y"` for years, `"m"` for months, `"w"` for weeks, and `"d"` for days. For example, `"+1m +7d"` represents one month and seven days from today.

Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `maxDate` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ maxDate: "+1m +1w" });

Get or set the `maxDate` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar maxDate = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "maxDate" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "maxDate", "+1m +1w" );

### minDateType: Date or Number or String

Default: `null`
The minimum selectable date. When set to `null`, there is no minimum.
Multiple types supported:

- Date: A date object containing the minimum date.
- Number: A number of days from today. For example `2` represents two days from today and `-1` represents yesterday.
- String: A string in the format defined by the `dateFormat` option, or a relative date. Relative dates must contain value and period pairs; valid periods are `"y"` for years, `"m"` for months, `"w"` for weeks, and `"d"` for days. For example, `"+1m +7d"` represents one month and seven days from today.

Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `minDate` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ minDate: new Date(2007, 1 - 1, 1) });

Get or set the `minDate` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar minDate = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "minDate" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "minDate", new Date(2007, 1 - 1, 1) );

### monthNamesType: Array

Default: `[ "January", "February", "March", "April", "May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December" ]`
The list of full month names, for use as requested via the `dateFormat` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `monthNames` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ monthNames: [ "Januar", "Februar", "Marts", "April", "Maj", "Juni", "Juli", "August", "September", "Oktober", "November", "December" ] });

Get or set the `monthNames` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar monthNames = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "monthNames" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "monthNames", [ "Januar", "Februar", "Marts", "April", "Maj", "Juni", "Juli", "August", "September", "Oktober", "November", "December" ] );

### monthNamesShortType: Array

Default: `[ "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec" ]`
The list of abbreviated month names, as used in the month header on each datepicker and as requested via the `dateFormat` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `monthNamesShort` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ monthNamesShort: [ "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "Maj", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Okt", "Nov", "Dec" ] });

Get or set the `monthNamesShort` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar monthNamesShort = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "monthNamesShort" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "monthNamesShort", [ "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "Maj", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Okt", "Nov", "Dec" ] );

### navigationAsDateFormatType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether the `prevText` and `nextText` options should be parsed as dates by the `[[UI/Datepicker/formatDate|formatDate]]` function, allowing them to display the target month names for example.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `navigationAsDateFormat` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ navigationAsDateFormat: true });

Get or set the `navigationAsDateFormat` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar navigationAsDateFormat = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "navigationAsDateFormat" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "navigationAsDateFormat", true );

### nextTextType: String

Default: `"Next"`
The text to display for the next month link. With the standard ThemeRoller styling, this value is replaced by an icon.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `nextText` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ nextText: "Later" });

Get or set the `nextText` option, after initialization:

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    // gettervar nextText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "nextText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "nextText", "Later" );

### numberOfMonthsType: Number or Array

Default: `1`
The number of months to show at once.
Multiple types supported:

- Number: The number of months to display in a single row.
- Array: An array defining the number of rows and columns to display.

Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `numberOfMonths` option specified:

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    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ numberOfMonths: [ 2, 3 ] });

Get or set the `numberOfMonths` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar numberOfMonths = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "numberOfMonths" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "numberOfMonths", [ 2, 3 ] );

### onChangeMonthYearType: Function( Integer year, Integer month, Object inst )

Default: `null`
Called when the datepicker moves to a new month and/or year. The function receives the selected year, month (1-12), and the datepicker instance as parameters. `this` refers to the associated input field.

### onCloseType: Function( String dateText, Object inst )

Default: `null`
Called when the datepicker is closed, whether or not a date is selected. The function receives the selected date as text (`""` if none) and the datepicker instance as parameters. `this` refers to the associated input field.

### onSelectType: Function( String dateText, Object inst )

Default: `null`
Called when the datepicker is selected. The function receives the selected date as text and the datepicker instance as parameters. `this` refers to the associated input field.

### prevTextType: String

Default: `"Prev"`
The text to display for the previous month link. With the standard ThemeRoller styling, this value is replaced by an icon.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `prevText` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ prevText: "Earlier" });

Get or set the `prevText` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar prevText = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "prevText" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "prevText", "Earlier" );

### selectOtherMonthsType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether days in other months shown before or after the current month are selectable. This only applies if the `showOtherMonths` option is set to `true`.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `selectOtherMonths` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ selectOtherMonths: true });

Get or set the `selectOtherMonths` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar selectOtherMonths = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "selectOtherMonths" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "selectOtherMonths", true );

### shortYearCutoffType: Number or String

Default: `"+10"`
The cutoff year for determining the century for a date (used in conjunction with `[[UI/Datepicker#option-dateFormat|dateFormat]]` 'y'). Any dates entered with a year value less than or equal to the cutoff year are considered to be in the current century, while those greater than it are deemed to be in the previous century.
Multiple types supported:

- Number: A value between `0` and `99` indicating the cutoff year.
- String: A relative number of years from the current year, e.g., `"+3"` or `"-5"`.

Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `shortYearCutoff` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ shortYearCutoff: 50 });

Get or set the `shortYearCutoff` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar shortYearCutoff = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "shortYearCutoff" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "shortYearCutoff", 50 );

### showAnimType: String

Default: `"show"`
The name of the animation used to show and hide the datepicker. Use `"show"` (the default), `"slideDown"`, `"fadeIn"`, any of the jQuery UI effects. Set to an empty string to disable animation.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showAnim` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showAnim: "fold" });

Get or set the `showAnim` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showAnim = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showAnim" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showAnim", "fold" );

### showButtonPanelType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether to show the button panel.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showButtonPanel` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showButtonPanel: true });

Get or set the `showButtonPanel` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showButtonPanel = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showButtonPanel" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showButtonPanel", true );

### showCurrentAtPosType: Number

Default: `0`
When displaying multiple months via the `numberOfMonths` option, the `showCurrentAtPos` option defines which position to display the current month in.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showCurrentAtPos` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showCurrentAtPos: 3 });

Get or set the `showCurrentAtPos` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showCurrentAtPos = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showCurrentAtPos" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showCurrentAtPos", 3 );

### showMonthAfterYearType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether to show the month after the year in the header.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showMonthAfterYear` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showMonthAfterYear: true });

Get or set the `showMonthAfterYear` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showMonthAfterYear = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showMonthAfterYear" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showMonthAfterYear", true );

### showOnType: String

Default: `"focus"`
When the datepicker should appear. The datepicker can appear when the field receives focus (`"focus"`), when a button is clicked (`"button"`), or when either event occurs (`"both"`).
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showOn` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showOn: "both" });

Get or set the `showOn` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showOn = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOn" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOn", "both" );

### showOptionsType: Object

Default: `{}`
If using one of the jQuery UI effects for the `showAnim` option, you can provide additional settings for that animation via this option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showOptions` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showOptions: { direction: "up" } });

Get or set the `showOptions` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showOptions = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOptions" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOptions", { direction: "up" } );

### showOtherMonthsType: Boolean

Default: `false`
Whether to display dates in other months (non-selectable) at the start or end of the current month. To make these days selectable use the `selectOtherMonths` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showOtherMonths` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showOtherMonths: true });

Get or set the `showOtherMonths` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showOtherMonths = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOtherMonths" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showOtherMonths", true );

### showWeekType: Boolean

Default: `false`
When `true`, a column is added to show the week of the year. The `calculateWeek` option determines how the week of the year is calculated. You may also want to change the `firstDay` option.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `showWeek` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ showWeek: true });

Get or set the `showWeek` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar showWeek = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showWeek" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "showWeek", true );

### stepMonthsType: Number

Default: `1`
Set how many months to move when clicking the previous/next links.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `stepMonths` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ stepMonths: 3 });

Get or set the `stepMonths` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar stepMonths = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "stepMonths" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "stepMonths", 3 );

### weekHeaderType: String

Default: `"Wk"`
The text to display for the week of the year column heading. Use the `showWeek` option to display this column.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `weekHeader` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ weekHeader: "W" });

Get or set the `weekHeader` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar weekHeader = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "weekHeader" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "weekHeader", "W" );

### yearRangeType: String

Default: `"c-10:c+10"`
The range of years displayed in the year drop-down: either relative to today's year (`"-nn:+nn"`), relative to the currently selected year (`"c-nn:c+nn"`), absolute (`"nnnn:nnnn"`), or combinations of these formats (`"nnnn:-nn"`). Note that this option only affects what appears in the drop-down, to restrict which dates may be selected use the `minDate` and/or `maxDate` options.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `yearRange` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ yearRange: "2002:2012" });

Get or set the `yearRange` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar yearRange = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "yearRange" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "yearRange", "2002:2012" );

### yearSuffixType: String

Default: `""`
Additional text to display after the year in the month headers.
Code examples:

Initialize the datepicker with the `yearSuffix` option specified:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker({ yearSuffix: "CE" });

Get or set the `yearSuffix` option, after initialization:

1 2 3 4 5 |
    // gettervar yearSuffix = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "yearSuffix" ); // setter$( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "yearSuffix", "CE" );

## Methods

### destroy()Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Removes the datepicker functionality completely. This will return the element back to its pre-init state.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the destroy method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "destroy" );

### dialog( date [, onSelect ] [, settings ] [, pos ] )Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Opens the datepicker in a dialog box.

- date
  Type: String or Date
  The initial date.
- onSelect
  Type: Function()
  A callback function when a date is selected. The function receives the date text and date picker instance as parameters.
- settings
  Type: Options
  The new settings for the date picker.
- pos
  Type: Number[2] or MouseEvent
  The position of the top/left of the dialog as `[x, y]` or a `MouseEvent` that contains the coordinates. If not specified the dialog is centered on the screen.

Code examples:

Invoke the dialog method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "dialog", "10/12/2012" );

### getDate()Returns: Date

Returns the current date for the datepicker or `null` if no date has been selected.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the getDate method:

1 |
    var currentDate = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "getDate" );

### hide()Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Close a previously opened date picker.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the hide method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "hide" );

### isDisabled()Returns: Boolean

Determine whether a date picker has been disabled.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the isDisabled method:

1 |
    var isDisabled = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "isDisabled" );

### option( optionName )Returns: Object

Gets the value currently associated with the specified `optionName`.

- optionName
  Type: String
  The name of the option to get.

Code examples:

Invoke the method:

1 |
    var isDisabled = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "disabled" );

### option()Returns: PlainObject

Gets an object containing key/value pairs representing the current datepicker options hash.

- This signature does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the method:

1 |
    var options = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option" );

### option( optionName, value )Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Sets the value of the datepicker option associated with the specified `optionName`.

- optionName
  Type: String
  The name of the option to set.
- value
  Type: Object
  A value to set for the option.

Code examples:

Invoke the method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", "disabled", true );

### option( options )Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Sets one or more options for the datepicker.

- options
  Type: Object
  A map of option-value pairs to set.

Code examples:

Invoke the method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "option", { disabled: true } );

### refresh()Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Redraw the date picker, after having made some external modifications.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the refresh method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "refresh" );

### setDate( date )Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Sets the date for the datepicker. The new date may be a `Date` object or a string in the current date format (e.g., `"01/26/2009"`), a number of days from today (e.g., `+7`) or a string of values and periods (`"y"` for years, `"m"` for months, `"w"` for weeks, `"d"` for days, e.g., `"+1m +7d"`), or `null` to clear the selected date.

- date
  Type: String or Date
  The new date.

Code examples:

Invoke the setDate method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "setDate", "10/12/2012" );

### show()Returns: jQuery (plugin only)

Open the date picker. If the datepicker is attached to an input, the input must be visible for the datepicker to be shown.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the show method:

1 |
    $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "show" );

### widget()Returns: jQuery

Returns a `jQuery` object containing the datepicker.

- This method does not accept any arguments.

Code examples:

Invoke the widget method:

1 |
    var widget = $( ".selector" ).datepicker( "widget" );

## Example:

#### A simple jQuery UI Datepicker.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 |
    <!doctype html><html lang="en"><head>  <meta charset="utf-8">  <title>datepicker demo</title>  <link rel="stylesheet" href="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.9.2/themes/base/jquery-ui.css">  <script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.8.3.js"></script>  <script src="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.9.2/jquery-ui.js"></script></head><body> <div id="datepicker"></div> <script>$( "#datepicker" ).datepicker();</script> </body></html>

#### Demo: