Reports the approximate distance in time between two Time or Date objects or integers as seconds. Set include_seconds to true if you want more detailed approximations when distance < 1 min, 29 secs Distances are reported base on the following table:

0 <-> 29 secs # => less than a minute 30 secs <-> 1 min, 29 secs # => 1 minute 1 min, 30 secs <-> 44 mins, 29 secs # => [2..44] minutes 44 mins, 30 secs <-> 89 mins, 29 secs # => about 1 hour 89 mins, 29 secs <-> 23 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs # => about [2..24] hours 23 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs <-> 47 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs # => 1 day 47 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs <-> 29 days, 23 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs # => [2..29] days 29 days, 23 hrs, 59 mins, 30 secs <-> 59 days, 23 hrs, 59 mins, 29 secs # => about 1 month 59 days, 23 hrs, 59 mins, 30 secs <-> 1 yr minus 1 sec # => [2..12] months 1 yr <-> 2 yrs minus 1 secs # => about 1 year 2 yrs <-> max time or date # => over [2..X] years

With include_seconds = true and the difference < 1 minute 29 seconds 0-4 secs # => less than 5 seconds 5-9 secs # => less than 10 seconds 10-19 secs # => less than 20 seconds 20-39 secs # => half a minute 40-59 secs # => less than a minute 60-89 secs # => 1 minute

Examples

from_time = Time.now
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 50.minutes)        # => about 1 hour
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, 50.minutes.from_now)           # => about 1 hour
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 15.seconds)        # => less than a minute
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 15.seconds, true)  # => less than 20 seconds
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, 3.years.from_now)              # => over 3 years
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 60.hours)          # => about 3 days
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 45.seconds, true)  # => less than a minute
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time - 45.seconds, true)  # => less than a minute
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, 76.seconds.from_now)           # => 1 minute
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 1.year + 3.days)   # => about 1 year
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, from_time + 4.years + 15.days + 30.minutes + 5.seconds) # => over 4 years

to_time = Time.now + 6.years + 19.days
distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, to_time, true)     # => over 6 years
distance_of_time_in_words(to_time, from_time, true)     # => over 6 years
distance_of_time_in_words(Time.now, Time.now)           # => less than a minute

Source Code

# File action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb, line 59
def distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, to_time = 0, include_seconds = false)
  from_time = from_time.to_time if from_time.respond_to?(:to_time)
  to_time = to_time.to_time if to_time.respond_to?(:to_time)
  distance_in_minutes = (((to_time - from_time).abs)/60).round
  distance_in_seconds = ((to_time - from_time).abs).round

  case distance_in_minutes
    when 0..1
      return (distance_in_minutes == 0) ? 'less than a minute' : '1 minute' unless include_seconds
      case distance_in_seconds
        when 0..4   then 'less than 5 seconds'
        when 5..9   then 'less than 10 seconds'
        when 10..19 then 'less than 20 seconds'
        when 20..39 then 'half a minute'
        when 40..59 then 'less than a minute'
        else             '1 minute'
      end

    when 2..44           then "#{distance_in_minutes} minutes"
    when 45..89          then 'about 1 hour'
    when 90..1439        then "about #{(distance_in_minutes.to_f / 60.0).round} hours"
    when 1440..2879      then '1 day'
    when 2880..43199     then "#{(distance_in_minutes / 1440).round} days"
    when 43200..86399    then 'about 1 month'
    when 86400..525599   then "#{(distance_in_minutes / 43200).round} months"
    when 525600..1051199 then 'about 1 year'
    else                      "over #{(distance_in_minutes / 525600).round} years"
  end
end