CODE

Display the “time ago” of a posted item

This snippet displays a date friendly conversion for the number of secs/mins/hrs/days/wks/mths/yrs since an item was posted. (supports language customisations)

v1.0.0

  1. The current code works off the items ‘Release Date’, however you can modify this to use an alternative date of your choice.

    Place the Part 1 code at the top of your item’s list or detail layout so that it can generate a set of variables you can use further down in your layout (see Part 2 below).

    NOTE: The first 5 Liquid variables (assign) are typical display values you may wish to change (including the Release Date to some other date). The remaining code most likely won't need modification.

    <!-- Treehouse CODE v1.0.0 -->
{% assign myDate = this.ReleaseDate %}
{% assign intervalPlural = "s" %}
{% assign pastPhrase = " ago" %}
{% assign daysPhrase = " ([n] days)" %}
{% assign daysAlwaysDefault = "Less than a day ago" %}

{% assign friendlyDaysIf = "" %}
{% assign friendlyDaysOnly = "" %}
{% assign nowDateSec = "now" | date: "%s" | minus: 0 %}
{% assign modDateSec = myDate | date: "%s" | minus: 0 %}
{% assign total = nowDateSec | minus: modDateSec | round %}
{% if total < 60 %}
  {% assign interval = "second,1" | split: ","  %}
{% elsif total < 3600 %}
  {% assign interval = "minute,60" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 86400 %}
  {% assign interval = "hour,3600" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 604800 %}
  {% assign interval = "day,86400" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 2419200 %}
  {% assign interval = "week,604800" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 31536000 %}
  {% assign interval = "month,2419200" | split: "," %}
{% else %}
  {% assign interval = "year,31536000" | split: "," %}
{% endif %}
{% assign term = interval[0] %}
{% assign termSeconds = interval[1] | plus: 0 %}
{% assign timeAgo = total | divided_by: termSeconds | round %}
{% if timeAgo <= 1 %}
  {% assign intervalPlural = "" %}
{% endif %}

{% assign friendlyDateDiff = timeAgo | append: " " | append: term | append: intervalPlural | append: pastPhrase %}

{% assign daysAgo = total | divided_by: 86400 | round %}
{% if daysAgo < 1 %}
  {% assign friendlyDaysOnly = daysAlwaysDefault %}
{% else %}
  {% assign friendlyDaysOnly = daysPhrase | replace: "[n]", daysAgo | replace: ")", pastPhrase | append: ")" %}
{% endif %}
{% if daysAgo > 6 %}
  {% assign friendlyDaysIf = daysPhrase | replace: "[n]", daysAgo %}
{% endif %}

  2. There are 3 main outputs you can use (with some in combination if needed):
    {{friendlyDateDiff}}
    {{friendlyDaysIf}}
    {{friendlyDaysOnly}}

    For example:

    <!-- Treehouse CODE v1.0.0 -->
<p>Posted {{friendlyDateDiff}}</p>
<!-- eg: Posted 3 weeks ago -->

<p>{{friendlyDaysIf}}</p>
<!-- eg: (18 days) -->
<!-- will only output something if > 1 week -->

<p>Posted {{friendlyDateDiff}}{{friendlyDaysIf}}</p>
<!-- eg: Posted 3 weeks ago (18 days) -->
<!-- only showing the days in brackets if > 1 week -->

<p>{{friendlyDaysOnly}}</p>
<!-- eg: (18 days ago) -->
<!-- only shows 'days ago' with a default of "Less than a day ago" if < 1 day -->

  3. OPTIONAL:
    If you need to account for a different language and/or more complex pluralisations, this alternative code can be used where you can specifiy the interval names used:

    <!-- Treehouse CODE v1.0.0 -->
{% assign myDate = this.ReleaseDate %}
{% assign pastPhrase = " ago" %}
{% assign daysPhrase = " ([n] days)" %}
{% assign daysAlwaysDefault = "Less than a day ago" %}

{% assign secondsTerm = "second" %}
{% assign secondsPlural = "seconds" %}
{% assign minutesTerm = "minute" %}
{% assign minutesPlural = "minutes" %}
{% assign hoursTerm = "hour" %}
{% assign hoursPlural = "hours" %}
{% assign daysTerm = "day" %}
{% assign daysPlural = "days" %}
{% assign weeksTerm = "week" %}
{% assign weeksPlural = "weeks" %}
{% assign monthsTerm = "month" %}
{% assign monthsPlural = "months" %}
{% assign yearsTerm = "year" %}
{% assign yearsPlural = "years" %}

{% assign friendlyDaysIf = "" %}
{% assign friendlyDaysOnly = "" %}
{% assign nowDateSec = "now" | date: "%s" | minus: 0 %}
{% assign modDateSec = myDate | date: "%s" | minus: 0 %}
{% assign total = nowDateSec | minus: modDateSec | round %}
{% if total < 60 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{secondsTerm}},{{secondsPlural}},1" | split: ","  %}
{% elsif total < 3600 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{minutesTerm}},{{minutesPlural}},60" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 86400 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{hoursTerm}},{{hoursPlural}},3600" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 604800 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{daysTerm}},{{daysPlural}},86400" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 2419200 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{weeksTerm}},{{weeksPlural}},604800" | split: "," %}
{% elsif total < 31536000 %}
  {% assign interval = "{{monthsTerm}},{{monthsPlural}},2419200" | split: "," %}
{% else %}
  {% assign interval = "{{yearsTerm}},{{yearsPlural}},31536000" | split: "," %}
{% endif %}
{% assign termSingular = interval[0] %}
{% assign termPlural = interval[1] %}
{% assign termSeconds = interval[2] | plus: 0 %}
{% assign timeAgo = total | divided_by: termSeconds | round %}
{% if timeAgo > 1 %}
{% assign term = termPlural %}
{% else %}
{% assign term = termSingular %}
{% endif %}

{% assign friendlyDateDiff = timeAgo | append: " " | append: term | append: pastPhrase %}

{% assign daysAgo = total | divided_by: 86400 | round %}
{% if daysAgo < 1 %}
{% assign friendlyDaysOnly = daysAlwaysDefault %}
{% else %}
{% assign friendlyDaysOnly = daysPhrase | replace: "[n]", daysAgo | replace: ")", pastPhrase | append: ")" %}
{% endif %}
{% if daysAgo > 6 %}
{% assign friendlyDaysIf = daysPhrase | replace: "[n]", daysAgo %}
{% endif %}

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