Python calendar.HTMLCalendar Class: Usage and Examples

Generate HTML table markup for calendar months.

How It Works

calendar.HTMLCalendar(firstweekday=...) creates basic HTML tables. formatmonth() returns HTML markup, not a rendered browser page. If you insert user-controlled labels elsewhere, escape those labels separately.

Step-by-Step Example

import calendar
html_calendar = calendar.HTMLCalendar()
month_markup = html_calendar.formatmonth(2026, 10)
print('<table' in month_markup)
print('</table>' in month_markup)

Understanding the Example

• The expression 'calendar.HTMLCalendar()' supplies the value stored as 'html_calendar'. This value is then used or checked by the later statements.
• The expression 'html_calendar.formatmonth(2026, 10)' supplies the value stored as 'month_markup'. This value is then used or checked by the later statements.

A successful run of this example prints the following output:

True
True

Where This Fits in a Real Program

For event timestamps, distinguish the displayed local clock from the instant that it represents. Store or exchange an unambiguous aware value, then convert it when displaying it to a user. For repeated calendar appointments, use a geographic timezone so daylight-saving rules are not lost.

Practice: Try It Yourself

HTMLCalendar does not add accessibility features specific to your surrounding site.

For this exercise, predict the result before running the changed code. Then explain the difference between the original and modified cases using the actual values, not just whether the program completed.

Further Reading

Read the official Python documentation for complete parameters, return types and exceptions.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Treating calendar HTML as plain text or forgetting to sanitize independent user-provided content.
• Save the generated markup in a local HTML document.

Key Takeaways

• Generate HTML table markup for calendar months.
• calendar.HTMLCalendar(firstweekday=...) creates basic HTML tables.
• Apply the demonstrated operation to the practice input and verify its result before depending on it in a larger program.