# verbatim(_:locale:timeZone:calendar:) Returns a style for formatting a date with an explicitly-specified style. ``` static func verbatim(_ format: Date.FormatString, locale: Locale? = nil, timeZone: TimeZone, calendar: Calendar) -> Date.VerbatimFormatStyle ``` ## Parameters `format` A [`Date.FormatString`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/FormatString) that provides the explicit components and their respective styles to use when formatting a date. `locale` The locale to use when formatting. Defaults to `nil`. `timeZone` The time zone to use when formatting. `calendar` The calendar to use when formatting. ## Return Value A date format style that uses the provided format string and timekeeping parameters. ## Discussion Use this format style only when you need to produce or parse an exact format, such as when working with programmatically-produced date strings. For formatting dates that people read, use [`dateTime`](/documentation/Foundation/FormatStyle/dateTime) to get a localized [`Date.FormatStyle`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/FormatStyle) instead. To use the ISO-8601 standard, use `FormatStyle/iso8601` to get a [`Date.ISO8601FormatStyle`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/ISO8601FormatStyle). Use the dot-notation form of this type method when the call point allows the use of [`Date.VerbatimFormatStyle`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/VerbatimFormatStyle). You typically do this when calling the [`formatted(_:)`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/formatted(_:)) method of [`Date`](/documentation/Foundation/Date). The following example formats the current date with a verbatim format that uses a two-digit month, two-digit day, and default-digits year, separated by slashes. The format style zero-pads the month and day components. This style isn’t localized — while this format string mimicks `en_US` conventions, it uses this format in any locale, ignoring locale-apporpriate conventions. ```swift let date = Date() let formatted = date.formatted( .verbatim("\(month: .twoDigits)/\(day: .twoDigits)/\(year: .defaultDigits)" as Date.FormatString, locale: .autoupdatingCurrent, timeZone: .current, calendar: .current)) // 12/05/2022 ``` --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)