How to generate a human readable time range using ruby on rails - ruby-on-rails

Question

I'm trying to find the best way to generate the following output
<name> job took 30 seconds
<name> job took 1 minute and 20 seconds
<name> job took 30 minutes and 1 second
<name> job took 3 hours and 2 minutes
I started this code
def time_range_details
time = (self.created_at..self.updated_at).count
sync_time = case time
when 0..60 then "#{time} secs"
else "#{time/60} minunte(s) and #{time-min*60} seconds"
end
end
Is there a more efficient way of doing this. It seems like a lot of redundant code for something super simple.
Another use for this is:
<title> was posted 20 seconds ago
<title> was posted 2 hours ago
The code for this is similar, but instead i use Time.now:
def time_since_posted
time = (self.created_at..Time.now).count
...
...
end

Answer 1

If you need something more "precise" than distance_of_time_in_words, you can write something along these lines:
def humanize(secs)
[[60, :seconds], [60, :minutes], [24, :hours], [Float::INFINITY, :days]].map{ |count, name|
if secs > 0
secs, n = secs.divmod(count)
"#{n.to_i} #{name}" unless n.to_i==0
end
}.compact.reverse.join(' ')
end
p humanize 1234
#=>"20 minutes 34 seconds"
p humanize 12345
#=>"3 hours 25 minutes 45 seconds"
p humanize 123456
#=>"1 days 10 hours 17 minutes 36 seconds"
p humanize(Time.now - Time.local(2010,11,5))
#=>"4 days 18 hours 24 minutes 7 seconds"
Oh, one remark on your code:
(self.created_at..self.updated_at).count
is really bad way to get the difference. Use simply:
self.updated_at - self.created_at

Answer 2

There are two methods in DateHelper that might give you what you want:
time_ago_in_words
time_ago_in_words( 1234.seconds.from_now ) #=> "21 minutes"
time_ago_in_words( 12345.seconds.ago ) #=> "about 3 hours"
distance_of_time_in_words
distance_of_time_in_words( Time.now, 1234.seconds.from_now ) #=> "21 minutes"
distance_of_time_in_words( Time.now, 12345.seconds.ago ) #=> "about 3 hours"

Answer 3

chronic_duration parses numeric time to readable and vice versa

Answer 4

If you want to show significant durations in the seconds to days range, an alternative would be (as it doesn't have to perform the best):
def human_duration(secs, significant_only = true)
n = secs.round
parts = [60, 60, 24, 0].map{|d| next n if d.zero?; n, r = n.divmod d; r}.
reverse.zip(%w(d h m s)).drop_while{|n, u| n.zero? }
if significant_only
parts = parts[0..1] # no rounding, sorry
parts << '0' if parts.empty?
end
parts.flatten.join
end
start = Time.now
# perform job
puts "Elapsed time: #{human_duration(Time.now - start)}"
human_duration(0.3) == '0'
human_duration(0.5) == '1s'
human_duration(60) == '1m0s'
human_duration(4200) == '1h10m'
human_duration(3600*24) == '1d0h'
human_duration(3600*24 + 3*60*60) == '1d3h'
human_duration(3600*24 + 3*60*60 + 59*60) == '1d3h' # simple code, doesn't round
human_duration(3600*24 + 3*60*60 + 59*60, false) == '1d3h59m0s'
Alternatively you may be only interested in stripping the seconds part when it doesn't matter (also demonstrating another approach):
def human_duration(duration_in_seconds)
n = duration_in_seconds.round
parts = []
[60, 60, 24].each{|d| n, r = n.divmod d; parts << r; break if n.zero?}
parts << n unless n.zero?
pairs = parts.reverse.zip(%w(d h m s)[-parts.size..-1])
pairs.pop if pairs.size > 2 # do not report seconds when irrelevant
pairs.flatten.join
end
Hope that helps.

Answer 5

There is problem with distance_of_time_in_words if u ll pass there 1 hour 30 min it ll return about 2 hours
Simply add in helper:
PERIODS = {
'day' => 86400,
'hour' => 3600,
'minute' => 60
}
def formatted_time(total)
return 'now' if total.zero?
PERIODS.map do |name, span|
next if span > total
amount, total = total.divmod(span)
pluralize(amount, name)
end.compact.to_sentence
end
Basically just pass your data in seconds.

Answer 6

Rails has a DateHelper for views. If that is not exactly what you want, you may have to write your own.
#Mladen Jablanović has an answer with good sample code. However, if you don't mind continuing to customize a sample humanize method, this might be a good starting point.
def humanized_array_secs(sec)
[[60, 'minutes '], [60, 'hours '], [24, 'days ']].inject([[sec, 'seconds']]) do |ary, (count, next_name)|
div, prev_name = ary.pop
quot, remain = div.divmod(count)
ary.push([remain, prev_name])
ary.push([quot, next_name])
ary
end.reverse
end
This gives you an array of values and unit names that you can manipulate.
If the first element is non-zero, it is the number of days. You may want to write code to handle multiple days, like showing weeks, months, and years. Otherwise, trim off the leading 0 values, and take the next two.
def humanized_secs(sec)
return 'now' if 1 > sec
humanized_array = humanized_array_secs(sec.to_i)
days = humanized_array[-1][0]
case
when 366 <= days
"#{days / 365} years"
when 31 <= days
"#{days / 31} months"
when 7 <= days
"#{days / 7} weeks"
else
while humanized_array.any? && (0 == humanized_array[-1][0])
humanized_array.pop
end
humanized_array.reverse[0..1].flatten.join
end
end
The code even finds use for a ruby while statement.