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# description

A string representation of the date object.

```
var description: String { get }
```

## Discussion

The representation is useful for debugging only.

There are a number of options to acquire a formatted string for a date including: date formatters (see [`DateFormatter`](/documentation/Foundation/DateFormatter) and [Data Formatting Guide](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/DataFormatting/DataFormatting.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000029i)), and the `NSDate` methods [`description(with:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSDate/description(with:)), [`date(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSDate/date(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:)), and [`description(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:locale:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSDate/description(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:locale:))

## See Also

[`description(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:locale:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSDate/description(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:locale:))

Returns a string representation of the date formatted as specified by given conversion specifiers.

[`date(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSDate/date(withCalendarFormat:timeZone:))

Converts the receiver to a calendar date with a given format string and time zone.


---

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