_DateDuration

[orbs]

function that returns a literal description of the duration (or date difference) between given dates. UDF and example:

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; UDF

#include <Date.au3>
; #FUNCTION# ====================================================================================================================
; Name ..........: _DateDuration
; Description ...: Returns a literal description of the duration (or date difference) between given dates.
; Syntax ........: _DateDuration($sDateOld, $sDateNew[, $iApproxLevel = 6])
; Parameters ....: $sDateOld     - The older date.
;                  $sDateNew     - The newer date.
;                  $iApproxLevel - [optional] amount of elements to return. Default is 6 (all elements).
; Return values .: Success - Returns a string representing the difference between the given dates.
;                  Failure - Returns an empty string and sets @error to 1 if dates are identical or reversed.
; Author ........: orbs
; Modified ......:
; Remarks .......: Dates should be formatted by the AutoIt calculable date format: "YYYY/MM/DD hh:nn:ss" or "YYYY/MM/DD".
;                  The returned string is in English, and formatted literally. Examples:
;                  "2 years, 3 months, 14 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes and 16 seconds" (all elements present)
;                  "2 years, 24 days, 15 hours, 37 minutes and 33 seconds" (no months difference)
;                  "9 days, 5 hours, 42 minutes and 37 seconds" (no years or months differences)
;                  "4 months and 26 days" (there may be hours, minutes or seconds differernces, but parameter $iApproxLevel=2)
; Related .......:
; Link ..........:
; Example .......: No
; ===============================================================================================================================
Func _DateDuration($sDateOld, $sDateNew, $iApproxLevel = 6)
    Local $sResult = ''
    Local $aResult[0][2]
    Local $iResult = 0
    Local $iDiffCurr = 0
    Local $aElement[6][2] = [['Y', 'year'], ['M', 'month'], ['D', 'day'], ['h', 'hour'], ['n', 'minute'], ['s', 'second']]
    Local $iElement = 0
    For $iElement = 0 To 5
        $iDiffCurr = _DateDiff($aElement[$iElement][0], $sDateOld, $sDateNew)
        If $iDiffCurr <= 0 Then
            ContinueLoop
        Else
            ReDim $aResult[UBound($aResult) + 1][2]
            $aResult[$iResult][0] = $iDiffCurr
            $aResult[$iResult][1] = $aElement[$iElement][1]
            If $iDiffCurr > 1 Then $aResult[$iResult][1] &= 's'
        EndIf
        $iResult += 1
        $sDateOld = _DateAdd($aElement[$iElement][0], $iDiffCurr, $sDateOld)
    Next
    Local $iReturnElementCount = ($iApproxLevel < UBound($aResult) ? $iApproxLevel : UBound($aResult))
    If $iReturnElementCount = 0 Then Return SetError(1, '', '') ; identical dates or $sDateOld is newer than sDateNew
    If $iReturnElementCount = 1 Then Return $aResult[0][0] & ' ' & $aResult[0][1] ; only one element to return, no need for an elaborate string composition
    For $iResult = 0 To $iReturnElementCount - 2
        $sResult &= ($aResult[$iResult][0] & ' ' & $aResult[$iResult][1] & ', ')
    Next
    $sResult = StringTrimRight($sResult, 2) ; remove last comma and whitespace
    $sResult &= (' and ' & $aResult[$iResult][0] & ' ' & $aResult[$iResult][1])
    Return $sResult
EndFunc   ;==>_DateDuration



; Example

Global $sDateOld = _NowCalc()
Global $sDateNew = _DateAdd('s', Random(0, 100000000, 1), $sDateOld)
Global $iApproxLevel = 3 ; change this in range 1 to 6
Global $sDateDiff = _DateDuration($sDateOld, $sDateNew, $iApproxLevel)
ConsoleWrite('old date = ' & $sDateOld & @CRLF)
ConsoleWrite('new date = ' & $sDateNew & @CRLF)
ConsoleWrite('duration = ' & $sDateDiff & @CRLF)

 

example output:

old date = 2016/12/21 23:21:45
new date = 2017/06/09 23:22:00
duration = 5 months, 19 days and 15 seconds

the text of last line ("5 months, 19 days and 15 seconds") is the return value of the function.

enjoy!