Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@minorbug

minorbug/timeago.swift

Created November 7, 2014 15:28
Show Gist options
  • Save minorbug/468790060810e0d29545 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save minorbug/468790060810e0d29545 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
"Time ago" function for Swift (based on MatthewYork's DateTools for Objective-C)
Raw
timeago.swift
func timeAgoSinceDate(date:NSDate, numericDates:Bool) -> String {
let calendar = NSCalendar.currentCalendar()
let unitFlags = NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitMinute | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitHour | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitDay | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitWeekOfYear | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitMonth | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitYear | NSCalendarUnit.CalendarUnitSecond
let now = NSDate()
let earliest = now.earlierDate(date)
let latest = (earliest == now) ? date : now
let components:NSDateComponents = calendar.components(unitFlags, fromDate: earliest, toDate: latest, options: nil)
if (components.year >= 2) {
return "\(components.year) years ago"
} else if (components.year >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 year ago"
} else {
return "Last year"
}
} else if (components.month >= 2) {
return "\(components.month) months ago"
} else if (components.month >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 month ago"
} else {
return "Last month"
}
} else if (components.weekOfYear >= 2) {
return "\(components.weekOfYear) weeks ago"
} else if (components.weekOfYear >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 week ago"
} else {
return "Last week"
}
} else if (components.day >= 2) {
return "\(components.day) days ago"
} else if (components.day >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 day ago"
} else {
return "Yesterday"
}
} else if (components.hour >= 2) {
return "\(components.hour) hours ago"
} else if (components.hour >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 hour ago"
} else {
return "An hour ago"
}
} else if (components.minute >= 2) {
return "\(components.minute) minutes ago"
} else if (components.minute >= 1){
if (numericDates){
return "1 minute ago"
} else {
return "A minute ago"
}
} else if (components.second >= 3) {
return "\(components.second) seconds ago"
} else {
return "Just now"
}
}
@dariukas
Copy link

dariukas commented Aug 6, 2018 •
edited
Loading

A Swift 4 version without force unwrapping:

extension Date {
    func timeAgoSinceDate(numericDates:Bool) -> String {
        let calendar = Calendar.current
        let now = Date()
        let earliest = self < now ? self : now
        let latest =  self > now ? self : now
        
        let unitFlags: Set<Calendar.Component> = [.minute, .hour, .day, .weekOfMonth, .month, .year, .second]
        let components: DateComponents = calendar.dateComponents(unitFlags, from: earliest, to: latest)
        
        if let year = components.year {
            if (year >= 2) {
                return "\(year) years ago"
            } else if (year >= 1) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 year ago", "Last year"))
            }
        }
        
        if let month = components.month {
            if (month >= 2) {
                return "\(month) months ago"
            } else if (month >= 2) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 month ago", "Last month"))
            }
        }
        
        if let weekOfYear = components.weekOfYear {
            if (weekOfYear >= 2) {
                return "\(weekOfYear) months ago"
            } else if (weekOfYear >= 2) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 week ago", "Last week"))
            }
        }
        
        if let day = components.day {
            if (day >= 2) {
                return "\(day) days ago"
            } else if (day >= 2) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 day ago", "Yesterday"))
            }
        }
        
        if let hour = components.hour {
            if (hour >= 2) {
                return "\(hour) hours ago"
            } else if (hour >= 2) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 hour ago", "An hour ago"))
            }
        }
        
        if let minute = components.minute {
            if (minute >= 2) {
                return "\(minute) minutes ago"
            } else if (minute >= 2) {
                return stringToReturn(flag: numericDates, strings: ("1 minute ago", "A minute ago"))
            }
        }
        
        if let second = components.second {
            if (second >= 3) {
                return "\(second) seconds ago"
            }
        }
        
        return "Just now"
    }
    
    private func stringToReturn(flag:Bool, strings: (String, String)) -> String {
        if (flag){
            return strings.0
        } else {
            return strings.1
        }
    }
}

@oluckyman
Copy link

Sorry for interrupting the party, but seems like "time ago" feature is implemented in DateTools with locales and just works:
https://github.com/MatthewYork/DateTools#time-ago

let timeAgoDate = 2.days.earlier
print("Time Ago: ", timeAgoDate.timeAgoSinceNow)
print("Time Ago: ", timeAgoDate.shortTimeAgoSinceNow)

//Output:
//Time Ago: 2 days ago
//Time Ago: 2d

@dariukas
Copy link

dariukas commented Aug 16, 2018 •
edited
Loading

The framework looks nice. However, sometimes only a feature is needed, not the whole framework = why to buy the whole cow if you need only milk.

@merlos
Copy link

merlos commented Sep 23, 2018 •
edited
Loading

This is my version. It is based on @dariukas, but fixes some bugs

import Foundation

extension Date {
    ///
    /// Provides a humanised date. For instance: 1 minute, 1 week ago, 3 months ago
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    //      - numericDates: Set it to true to get "1 year ago", "1 month ago" or false if you prefer "Last year", "Last month"
    ///
    func timeAgo(numericDates:Bool) -> String {
        let calendar = Calendar.current
        let now = Date()
        let earliest = self < now ? self : now
        let latest =  self > now ? self : now
        
        let unitFlags: Set<Calendar.Component> = [.minute, .hour, .day, .weekOfMonth, .month, .year, .second]
        let components: DateComponents = calendar.dateComponents(unitFlags, from: earliest, to: latest)
        //print("")
        //print(components)
        if let year = components.year {
            if (year >= 2) {
                return "\(year) years ago"
            } else if (year >= 1) {
                return numericDates ?  "1 year ago" : "Last year"
            }
        }
        if let month = components.month {
            if (month >= 2) {
                return "\(month) months ago"
            } else if (month >= 1) {
                return numericDates ? "1 month ago" : "Last month"
            }
        }
        if let weekOfMonth = components.weekOfMonth {
            if (weekOfMonth >= 2) {
                return "\(weekOfMonth) weeks ago"
            } else if (weekOfMonth >= 1) {
                return numericDates ? "1 week ago" : "Last week"
            }
        }
        if let day = components.day {
            if (day >= 2) {
                return "\(day) days ago"
            } else if (day >= 1) {
                return numericDates ? "1 day ago" : "Yesterday"
            }
        }
        if let hour = components.hour {
            if (hour >= 2) {
                return "\(hour) hours ago"
            } else if (hour >= 1) {
                return numericDates ? "1 hour ago" : "An hour ago"
            }
        }
        if let minute = components.minute {
            if (minute >= 2) {
                return "\(minute) minutes ago"
            } else if (minute >= 1) {
                return numericDates ? "1 minute ago" : "A minute ago"
            }
        }
        if let second = components.second {
            if (second >= 3) {
                return "\(second) seconds ago"
            }
        }
        return "Just now"
    }
}

@dx777
Copy link

dx777 commented Sep 23, 2018

@merlos nice, thank you !

@demonukg
Copy link

@merlos awesome! thank you

@rafalwojcik
Copy link

rafalwojcik commented Dec 4, 2018 •
edited
Loading

My version in Swift 4.2:

import Foundation

extension Date {
    func timeAgo(numericDates: Bool) -> String {
        let calendar = Calendar.current
        let now = Date()
        let earliest = self < now ? self : now
        let latest =  self > now ? self : now

        let unitFlags: Set<Calendar.Component> = [.minute, .hour, .day, .weekOfMonth, .month, .year, .second]
        let components: DateComponents = calendar.dateComponents(unitFlags, from: earliest, to: latest)

        let year = components.year ?? 0
        let month = components.month ?? 0
        let weekOfMonth = components.weekOfMonth ?? 0
        let day = components.day ?? 0
        let hour = components.hour ?? 0
        let minute = components.minute ?? 0
        let second = components.second ?? 0

        switch (year, month, weekOfMonth, day, hour, minute, second) {
            case (let year, _, _, _, _, _, _) where year >= 2: return "\(year) years ago"
            case (let year, _, _, _, _, _, _) where year == 1 && numericDates: return "1 year ago"
            case (let year, _, _, _, _, _, _) where year == 1 && !numericDates: return "Last year"
            case (_, let month, _, _, _, _, _) where month >= 2: return "\(month) months ago"
            case (_, let month, _, _, _, _, _) where month == 1 && numericDates: return "1 month ago"
            case (_, let month, _, _, _, _, _) where month == 1 && !numericDates: return "Last month"
            case (_, _, let weekOfMonth, _, _, _, _) where weekOfMonth >= 2: return "\(weekOfMonth) weeks ago"
            case (_, _, let weekOfMonth, _, _, _, _) where weekOfMonth == 1 && numericDates: return "1 week ago"
            case (_, _, let weekOfMonth, _, _, _, _) where weekOfMonth == 1 && !numericDates: return "Last week"
            case (_, _, _, let day, _, _, _) where day >= 2: return "\(day) days ago"
            case (_, _, _, let day, _, _, _) where day == 1 && numericDates: return "1 day ago"
            case (_, _, _, let day, _, _, _) where day == 1 && !numericDates: return "Yesterday"
            case (_, _, _, _, let hour, _, _) where hour >= 2: return "\(hour) hours ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, let hour, _, _) where hour == 1 && numericDates: return "1 hour ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, let hour, _, _) where hour == 1 && !numericDates: return "An hour ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, _, let minute, _) where minute >= 2: return "\(minute) minutes ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, _, let minute, _) where minute == 1 && numericDates: return "1 minute ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, _, let minute, _) where minute == 1 && !numericDates: return "A minute ago"
            case (_, _, _, _, _, _, let second) where second >= 3: return "\(second) seconds ago"
            default: return "Just now"
        }
    }
}

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment