[REQ] nice timestamps

[gingerbeardman]

So instead of 25 Oct 2019, 03:03 maybe we could have 1 month ago

On pinboard website there is a good model to follow:

• just now (within the last hour?)
• hours ago (up to 24 hours)
• yesterday (date is yesterday)
• days ago (up to ~30 days)
• weeks ago (up to 12 weeks)
• july 2019 (over 12 weeks)

Sample code from https://github.com/kristofa/bookmarker_for_pinboard/blob/f736e03e54f2940a7e45f50e5cbbe82cd7e6cd19/bookmarker%20for%20pinboard%20extension/SafariExtensionHandler.swift#L103-L127

private func readableIntervalSinceNow(dateAsString: String) -> String {
    let formatter = ISO8601DateFormatter();
    if let date = formatter.date(from: dateAsString) {
        
        let timeInterval = date.timeIntervalSinceNow
        if (timeInterval > -3600) { // less than 1 hour
            return "just now."
        } else if (timeInterval > -86400) { // less than a day
            let hours = abs(timeInterval / 3600)
            return "\(String(format: "%.0f", hours)) hours ago."
            //String(format: "%.f", hours)
        } else if (timeInterval > (-604800 * 4)) { // less than a months
            let days = abs(timeInterval / 86400)
            return "\(String(format: "%.0f", days)) days ago."
        } else if (timeInterval > (-604800 * 4 * 3)) { // less than 3 months
            let weeks = abs(timeInterval / 604800)
            return "\(String(format: "%.0f", weeks)) weeks ago."
        } else {
            let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
            dateFormatter.setLocalizedDateFormatFromTemplate("MMMM YYYY")
            return "\(dateFormatter.string(from: date))."
        }
    }
    return dateAsString
}

[otzbergnet]

How do you envisage the display

This page was last archived: a few days ago

For my understanding: how is the abstract better than the detailed timestamp? I am not opposed to do this, I am just trying to understand how we are improving the user experience by making it less detailed...

[gingerbeardman]

In short, relative timestamps are better when you need to quickly see "how recently" rather than "when exactly"

https://uxmovement.com/content/absolute-vs-relative-timestamps-when-to-use-which/

[otzbergnet]

I'll make it an option - because I agree with the usefulness of the relative timestamp, but I personally do care about the exact one :) Sorry, but we have so many options already, that one more, won't hurt. I'll make the relative timestamp the default

[gingerbeardman]

Icons from me soon and then after that IMHO we are shippable.

[otzbergnet]

Thanks Matt :)