The following functions count time and display times and dates. For example, you can use them to display when a design was created or modified.
| Function to Use | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
| $date$ | The date as computed by your computer and formatted as per your computer settings. | 05-Dec-2023 |
To display a time period or a date, EngView uses two types of functions, which work in combination:
| Function | Syntax | Returns | Result | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time-computing function | timenow() | $timenow()$ | The number of seconds that have elapsed between 1 January 1970 00:00:00 and the moment the function is called. | 1701766510.00 |
| Time formatting function | $timestr(timenow(), Attributes)$ | $timestr(timenow(), "%d.%m.%Y")$ | Displays current time in custom format: DD.MM.YYY | 05.12.2023 |
This page walks you through the two types of functions and provides guidance about how to use them. Also, you can consult examples of how to combines functions to set specific time moments — for example, delivery dates or the time that has elapsed between two specific moments.
top of pageThe following four functions compute the time in second that has elapsed from 1 January 1970 to a concrete moment in time.
| To | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The number of seconds that have elapsed between 1 January 1970 00:00:00 and the moment the function is called. | $timenow()$ | 1701766510.00 |
| the number of seconds from 1 January 1970 00:00:00 to the moment a file was created. | $ProjectInfo.Created$ | 1369230724.00 |
| The number of seconds from 1 January 1970 00:00:00 to the last time when a project was modified. | $ProjectInfo.LastModified$ | 1663166037.00 |
| The number representing the date in the function as the number of seconds from 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00. | timestamp(YYYY, MM, DD, HH, MM, SS) / timestamp(2023, 12, 17, 18, 00, 00) | 1702828800.00 |
The following function computes an amount of time — for example, 3 hours and 37 minutes or 5 months and 4 days.
| To Compute | Syntax |
|---|---|
| A set amount of time | timespan(days, hours, minutes, seconds) |
| To Compute | Type |
|---|---|
| 3 days, 2 hours, 20 minutes, 15 seconds | $timespan(3, 2, 20, 15)$ |
Use the timestr() function to format counted seconds from 1 January 1970 00:00:00 into a date (letters and numbers) that you can actually use.
| Function | Use |
|---|---|
| timestr() | timestr(time-computing function, "%attribute1 %attribute2 ... %attributeN") |
Use the timespanstr() function to convert the counted seconds of a time interval into days, hours, minutes and seconds (letters and numbers) that you can actually use.
| Function | Use |
|---|---|
| timespanstr() | timespanstr(time-computing function + timespan(), "%attribute1 %attribute2 ... %attributeN") |
| Attribute | Where to type it | Returns | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | $timestr(time-computing function, "%a")$ | Day of the week, abbreviated | Thu | Locale dependent |
| A | $timestr(time-computing function, "%A")$ | Day of the week, not abbreviated | Thursday | Locale dependent |
| b | $timestr(time-computing function, "%b")$ | Month, abbreviated | Feb | Locale dependent |
| B | $timestr(time-computing function, "%B")$ | Month, not abbreviated | February | Locale dependent |
| c | $timestr(time-computing function, "%c")$ | Current date and time | 02/22/2022 11:44:33 | Locale dependent |
| d | $timestr(time-computing function, "%d")$ | Day of the month | 02 | |
| H | $timestr(time-computing function, "%H")$ | The hour, 24-hour format | 13 | |
| I | $timestr(time-computing function, "%I")$ | The hour, 12-hour format | 03 | |
| j | $timestr(time-computing function, "%j")$ | The day of the year | 034 | |
| m | $timestr(time-computing function, "%m")$ | The month as a numeral | 03 | |
| M | $timestr(time-computing function, "%M")$ | Minute | 35 | |
| p | $timestr(time-computing function, "%p")$ | AM, PM | AM | |
| S | $timestr(time-computing function, "%S")$ | Second | 14 | |
| U | $timestr(time-computing function, "%U")$ | Week number | 14 | First Sunday is the first day of week 1 |
| w | $timestr(time-computing function, "%w")$ | Day of the week as a numeral | 4 | Sunday is the first weekday, day 0 |
| W | $timestr(time-computing function, "%W")$ | Week number | 14 | First Monday is the first day of week 1 |
| x | $timestr(time-computing function, "%x")$ | Date | 08/23/22 | Locale dependent |
| X | $timestr(time-computing function, "%X")$ | Time | 11:34:34 | Locale dependent |
| y | $timestr(time-computing function, "%y")$ | Year, last two digits | 22 | |
| Y | $timestr(time-computing function, "%Y")$ | Year | 2022 | |
| Z | $timestr(time-computing function, "%Z")$ | Time zone, abbreviated | EET | Locale dependent |
IMPORTANT: When typing a function's elements, make sure you separate them with your computer's list separator symbol. Yours may be different from the one used here.
top of pageThe following examples show how you can combine time-computing functions to receive practical time-related information, and then use time-displaying functions to display this information.
| What to Type | Returns | Result |
|---|---|---|
| $timestr(timenow(), "%d.%m.%Y")$ | Displays current time in custom format: DD.MM.YYY | 05.12.2023 |
| $timestr(timenow(), "%Y-%m-%d")$ | Displays current time in custom format: YYYY-MM-DD | 2023-12-05 |
You can combine the timenow() and timespan() functions to specify a moment in the future. Combining the two functions is especially helpful for building expressions for the setting of delivery dates and times.
| To set | Write | Result |
|---|---|---|
| The moment that is 5 days from now | $timestr(timenow()+timespan(5, 0, 0, 0), "%d-%m-%Y")$ | 10-12-2023 |
You can combine the timestamp() and timenow() functions to calculate the time that remains to a moment in the future. In the expression, you subtract the current time from the time of a future moment: timestamp() – timenow(). The expression is especially useful for computing the time that remains to a delivery.
| To set | Write | Result |
|---|---|---|
| How many days remain to 10 December 2023 18:00 | $timespanstr(timestamp(2023, 12, 10, 18, 0, 0) - timenow(), "%+d")$ | 5 |
| How many days and hours remain to 10 December 2023 18:00 | $timespanstr(timestamp(2023, 12, 10, 18, 0, 0) - timenow(), "%+d days and %H hours")$ | 5 days and 05 hours |
| How many hours remain to 10 December 2023 18:00 | $timespanstr(timestamp(2023, 12, 10, 18, 0, 0) - timenow(), "%+H")$ | 125 |
The function displays the number of seconds from 1 January 1970 00:00:00 to the beginning of the current time defined by a precision.
timefloor(time-computing function, precision)
The examples that follow take the current time at: 05.12.2023 14:37:20
| Precision | Write | Returns seconds from 01.01.1970 00:00:00 to | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| y | $timefloor(timenow(), "y")$ | 01.01.2023 00:00:00 | 1672524000 |
| m | $timefloor(timenow(), "m")$ | 01.12.2023 00:00:00 | 1701381600 |
| d | $timefloor(timenow(), "d")$ | 05.12.2023 00:00:00 | 1701727200 |
| H | $timefloor(timenow(), "H")$ | 05.12.2023 13:00:00 | 1701777600 |
| M | $timefloor(timenow(), "M")$ | 05.12.2023 13:46:00 | 1701779820 |
| S | $timefloor(timenow(), "S")$ | 05.12.2023 13:46:40 | 1701779840 |
timefmod(time-computing function, precision)
The exampes that follow are for current time 05.12.2023 14:37:20
| Precision | Write | Returns seconds from current time to | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| m | $timemod(timenow(), "m")$ | the beginning of current year (01.01.2023 00:00:00) | 1701381600 |
| d | $timemod(timenow(), "d")$ | the beginning of current month (01.12.2023 00:00:00) | 1701727200 |
| H | $timemod(timenow(), "H")$ | the beginning of current day (05.12.2023 00:00:00) | 1701777600 |
| M | $timemod(timenow(), "M")$ | the beginning of current hour (05.12.2023 14:00:00) | 1701779820 |
| S | $timemod(timenow(), "S")$ | the beginning of current minute (05.12.2023 14:37:00) | 1701779840 |