NSDate Comparison using Swift

Question

I am working on an app the requires checking the due date for homework. I want to know if a due date is within the next week, and if it is then perform an action.
Most of the documentation I could find is in Objective-C and I can't figure out how to do it in Swift. Thanks for the help!!

Answer 1

If you want to support ==, <, >, <=, or >= for NSDates, you just have to declare this somewhere:

public func ==(lhs: NSDate, rhs: NSDate) -> Bool {
    return lhs === rhs || lhs.compare(rhs) == .OrderedSame
}

public func <(lhs: NSDate, rhs: NSDate) -> Bool {
    return lhs.compare(rhs) == .OrderedAscending
}

extension NSDate: Comparable { }

Answer 2

I like using extensions to make code more readable. Here are a few NSDate extensions that can help clean your code up and make it easy to understand. I put this in a sharedCode.swift file:

extension NSDate {

    func isGreaterThanDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {
        //Declare Variables
        var isGreater = false

        //Compare Values
        if self.compare(dateToCompare as Date) == ComparisonResult.orderedDescending {
            isGreater = true
        }

        //Return Result
        return isGreater
    }

    func isLessThanDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {
        //Declare Variables
        var isLess = false

        //Compare Values
        if self.compare(dateToCompare as Date) == ComparisonResult.orderedAscending {
            isLess = true
        }

        //Return Result
        return isLess
    }

    func equalToDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {
        //Declare Variables
        var isEqualTo = false

        //Compare Values
        if self.compare(dateToCompare as Date) == ComparisonResult.orderedSame {
            isEqualTo = true
        }

        //Return Result
        return isEqualTo
    }

    func addDays(daysToAdd: Int) -> NSDate {
        let secondsInDays: TimeInterval = Double(daysToAdd) * 60 * 60 * 24
        let dateWithDaysAdded: NSDate = self.addingTimeInterval(secondsInDays)

        //Return Result
        return dateWithDaysAdded
    }

    func addHours(hoursToAdd: Int) -> NSDate {
        let secondsInHours: TimeInterval = Double(hoursToAdd) * 60 * 60
        let dateWithHoursAdded: NSDate = self.addingTimeInterval(secondsInHours)

        //Return Result
        return dateWithHoursAdded
    }
}

Now if you can do something like this:

//Get Current Date/Time
var currentDateTime = NSDate()

//Get Reminder Date (which is Due date minus 7 days lets say)
var reminderDate = dueDate.addDays(-7)

//Check if reminderDate is Greater than Right now
if(reminderDate.isGreaterThanDate(currentDateTime)) {
    //Do Something...
}

Answer 3

This is how you compare two NSDates in Swift, I just tested it in Xcode's playground:

if date1.compare(date2) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedDescending
{
    NSLog("date1 after date2");
} else if date1.compare(date2) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedAscending
{
    NSLog("date1 before date2");
} else
{
    NSLog("dates are equal");
}

So to check if a date dueDate is within a week from now:

let dueDate=...

let calendar = NSCalendar.currentCalendar()
let comps = NSDateComponents()
comps.day = 7
let date2 = calendar.dateByAddingComponents(comps, toDate: NSDate(), options: NSCalendarOptions.allZeros)

if dueDate.compare(date2!) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedDescending
{
    NSLog("not due within a week");
} else if dueDate.compare(date2!) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedAscending
{
    NSLog("due within a week");
} else
{
    NSLog("due in exactly a week (to the second, this will rarely happen in practice)");
}

Answer 4

I always did it in one line:

let greater = date1.timeIntervalSince1970 < date2.timeIntervalSince1970

Still readable in the if block

Answer 5

In Swift3, the Date struct in the Foundation now implements the Comparable protocol. So, the previous Swift2 NSDate approaches are superceded by Swift3 Date.

/**
 `Date` represents a single point in time.

 A `Date` is independent of a particular calendar or time zone. To represent a `Date` to a user, you must interpret it in the context of a `Calendar`.
*/
public struct Date : ReferenceConvertible, Comparable, Equatable {

    // .... more         

    /**
        Returns the interval between the receiver and another given date.

        - Parameter another: The date with which to compare the receiver.

        - Returns: The interval between the receiver and the `another` parameter. If the receiver is earlier than `anotherDate`, the return value is negative. If `anotherDate` is `nil`, the results are undefined.

        - SeeAlso: `timeIntervalSince1970`
        - SeeAlso: `timeIntervalSinceNow`
        - SeeAlso: `timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate`
        */
    public func timeIntervalSince(_ date: Date) -> TimeInterval

   // .... more 

    /// Returns true if the two `Date` values represent the same point in time.
    public static func ==(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

    /// Returns true if the left hand `Date` is earlier in time than the right hand `Date`.
    public static func <(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

    /// Returns true if the left hand `Date` is later in time than the right hand `Date`.
    public static func >(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

    /// Returns a `Date` with a specified amount of time added to it.
    public static func +(lhs: Date, rhs: TimeInterval) -> Date

    /// Returns a `Date` with a specified amount of time subtracted from it.
    public static func -(lhs: Date, rhs: TimeInterval) -> Date

  // .... more
}

Note ...

In Swift3, Date is struct, it means that it is value type. NSDate is class, it is reference type.

// Swift3
let a = Date()
let b = a //< `b` will copy `a`. 

// So, the addresses between `a` and `b` are different.
// `Date` is some kind different with `NSDate`.

Answer 6

extension NSDate {

    // MARK: - Dates comparison

    func isGreaterThanDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {

        return self.compare(dateToCompare) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedDescending
    }

    func isLessThanDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {

        return self.compare(dateToCompare) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedAscending
    }

    func equalToDate(dateToCompare: NSDate) -> Bool {

        return self.compare(dateToCompare) == NSComparisonResult.OrderedSame
    }
}

Answer 7

If you want to compare dates with granularity (just same day or year etc) on swift 3.

func compareDate(date1:NSDate, date2:NSDate, toUnitGranularity: NSCalendar.Unit) -> Bool {

 let order = NSCalendar.current.compare(date1 as Date, to: date2 as Date, toGranularity: .day)
 switch order {
 case .orderedSame:
   return true
 default:
   return false
 }
}

For other calendar comparisons change .day to;

.year .month .day .hour .minute .second

Answer 8

Swift already implement Date comparison just use date1 > date2 and so on.

/// Returns true if the two `Date` values represent the same point in time.
public static func ==(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

/// Returns true if the left hand `Date` is earlier in time than the right hand `Date`.
public static func <(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

/// Returns true if the left hand `Date` is later in time than the right hand `Date`.
public static func >(lhs: Date, rhs: Date) -> Bool

/// Returns a `Date` with a specified amount of time added to it.
public static func +(lhs: Date, rhs: TimeInterval) -> Date

/// Returns a `Date` with a specified amount of time subtracted from it.
public static func -(lhs: Date, rhs: TimeInterval) -> Date

/// Add a `TimeInterval` to a `Date`.
///
/// - warning: This only adjusts an absolute value. If you wish to add calendrical concepts like hours, days, months then you must use a `Calendar`. That will take into account complexities like daylight saving time, months with different numbers of days, and more.
public static func +=(lhs: inout Date, rhs: TimeInterval)

/// Subtract a `TimeInterval` from a `Date`.
///
/// - warning: This only adjusts an absolute value. If you wish to add calendrical concepts like hours, days, months then you must use a `Calendar`. That will take into account complexities like daylight saving time, months with different numbers of days, and more.
public static func -=(lhs: inout Date, rhs: TimeInterval)

Answer 9

in Swift 3, Date is Comparable so we can directly compare dates like

let date1 = Date()
let date2 = Date()

let isGreater = date1 > date2
print(isGreater)

let isEqual = date1 == date2
print(isEqual)

or alternatively

let result = date1.compare(date2)
switch result {
    case .OrderedAscending     :   print("date 1 is earlier than date 2")
    case .OrderedDescending    :   print("date 1 is later than date 2")
    case .OrderedSame          :   print("two dates are the same")
}

better way creating extension on Date

extension Date {

  fun isGreater(than date: Date) -> Bool {
    return self > date 
  }

  func isSmaller(than date: Date) -> Bool {
    return self < date
  }

  func isEqual(to date: Date) -> Bool {
    return self == date
  }

}

usage let isGreater = date1.isGreater(than: date2)

Answer 10

This function worked for me for comparing whether one date (startDate) was after the endDate where both were defined as NSDate variables:

if startDate.compare(endDate as Date) == ComparisonResult.orderedDescending

Answer 11

implementation in Swift

let documentsPath = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(.DocumentDirectory, .UserDomainMask, true)[0] as NSString
let files = NSFileManager.defaultManager().contentsOfDirectoryAtPath(documentsPath, error: nil)

let filesAndProperties = NSMutableArray()
for file in files! {

    let filePath = documentsPath.stringByAppendingString(file as NSString)
    let properties = NSFileManager.defaultManager().attributesOfItemAtPath(filePath, error: nil)
    let modDate = properties![NSFileModificationDate] as NSDate
    filesAndProperties.addObject(NSDictionary(objectsAndKeys: file, "path", modDate, "lastModDate"))
}

let sortedFiles = filesAndProperties.sortedArrayUsingComparator({
    (path1, path2) -> NSComparisonResult in

    var comp = (path1.objectForKey("lastModDate") as NSDate).compare(path2.objectForKey("lastModDate") as NSDate)
    if comp == .OrderedDescending {

        comp = .OrderedAscending
    } else if comp == .OrderedAscending {

        comp = .OrderedDescending
    }

    return comp
})

Answer 12

var dateFormatter = NSDateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd"
let dateData: String = dateFormatter.stringFromDate(date1)
let testDate: String = dateFormatter.stringFromDate(date2)
print(dateData == testDate)

Answer 13

someArray.sort({($0.dateAdded?.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate)! < ($1.dateAdded?.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate)!})

dateAdded is an NSDate variable in my object

class MyClass {
    let dateAdded: NSDate?
}

Answer 14

We have scenario to check current time lies b/w two times (two dates).For Example , I want to check the current lie between clinic(Hospital) opening time and closing time.

Use the simple Code.

      NSDate * now = [NSDate date];
        NSDateFormatter *outputFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
        [outputFormatter setDateFormat:@"HH:mm:ss"];

        //current time
        NSString *currentTimeString = [outputFormatter stringFromDate:now];
        NSDate *dateCurrent = [outputFormatter dateFromString:currentTimeString];


        NSString *timeStart = @"09:00:00";
        NSString *timeEnd = @"22:00:00";

        NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
        [formatter setDateFormat:@"HH:mm:ss"];

        NSDate *dateStart= [formatter timeStart];
        NSDate *dateEnd = [formatter timeEnd];
        NSComparisonResult result = [dateCurrent compare:dateStart];
        NSComparisonResult resultSecond = [date2 compare:dateEnd];

if(result == NSOrderedDescending && resultSecond == NSOrderedDescending)
        {
            NSLog(@"current time lies in starting and end time");
    }else {
            NSLog(@"current time doesn't lie in starting and end time");
        }

Answer 15

For swift 3, you can use the below function to compare between two dates.

func compareDate(dateInitial:Date, dateFinal:Date) -> Bool {
    let order = Calendar.current.compare(dateInitial, to: dateFinal, toGranularity: .day)
    switch order {
    case .orderedSame:
        return true
    default:
        return false
    }
}

toGranularity can be changed according to the constraints on which you want to apply your comparison.

Answer 16

To extend on SashaZ - Swift iOS 8 and up

• Are these dates from the same day?
• Are these dates from the same month?
• is this date from a previous month than the other?

When you need more than simply bigger or smaller date comparisons. For example is it the same day or the previous day,...

Note: Never forget the timezone. Calendar timezone has a default, but if you do not like the default, you have to set the timezone yourself. To know which day it is, you need to know in which timezone you are asking.

extension Date {
    func compareTo(date: Date, toGranularity: Calendar.Component ) -> ComparisonResult  {
        var cal = Calendar.current
        cal.timeZone = TimeZone(identifier: "Europe/Paris")!
        return cal.compare(self, to: date, toGranularity: toGranularity)
        }
    }

Use it like this:

if thisDate.compareTo(date: Date(), toGranularity: .day) == .orderedDescending {
// thisDate is a previous day
}

Of a more complex example. Find and filter all dates in an array, which are from the same day as "findThisDay":

let formatter = DateFormatter()
formatter.timeZone = TimeZone(identifier: "Europe/Paris")
formatter.dateFormat = "yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss"

let findThisDay = formatter.date(from: "2018/11/05 08:11:08")!
_ = [
    formatter.date(from: "2018/12/05 08:08:08")!, 
    formatter.date(from: "2018/11/05 08:11:08")!,
    formatter.date(from: "2018/11/05 11:08:22")!,
    formatter.date(from: "2018/11/05 22:08:22")!,
    formatter.date(from: "2018/11/05 08:08:22")!,
    formatter.date(from: "2018/11/07 08:08:22")!,
    ]
    .filter{ findThisDay.compareTo(date: $0 , toGranularity: .day) == .orderedSame }
    .map { print(formatter.string(from: $0)) }