How to generate a human readable time range using 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:

1. time_ago_in_words

   time_ago_in_words( 1234.seconds.from_now ) #=> "21 minutes"
   
   time_ago_in_words( 12345.seconds.ago )     #=> "about 3 hours"
   

2. 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.