timeago.js

timeago.js is a nano library(less than 2 kb) used to format datetime with *** time ago statement. eg: '3 hours ago'.

i18n supported.
Time ago and time in supported.
Real-time render supported.
Node and browser supported.
Well tested.

Official website. React version here: timeago-react. Python version here: timeago.

Such as

just now
12 seconds ago
2 hours ago
3 days ago
3 weeks ago
2 years ago

in 12 seconds
in 3 minutes
in 24 days
in 6 months

Usage

install

npm install timeago.js

import

import { format, render, cancel, register } from 'timeago.js';

or import with script tag in html file and access global variable timeago.

<script src="dist/timeago.min.js"></script>

example

// format the time with locale
format('2016-06-12', 'en_US');

API

There only 4 API below.

format

format(date[, locale = 'en_US', opts]), format a Date instance / timestamp / date string to string.

import { format } from 'timeago.js';

// format timestamp
format(1544666010224);

// format date instance
format(new Date(1544666010224));

// format date string
format('2018-12-12');

// format with locale
format(1544666010224, 'zh_CN');

// format with locale and relative date
format(1544666010224, 'zh_CN', { relativeDate: '2018-11-11' });

// e.g.
format(Date.now() - 11 * 1000 * 60 * 60); // returns '11 hours ago'

The default locale is en_US, and the library contains en_US and zh_CN build-in.

render & cancel

render(dom[, locale = 'en_US', opts])
cancel([dom])

Make a dom with datetime attribute automatic rendering and cancel.

HTML code:

<div class="timeago" datetime="2016-06-30 09:20:00"></div>

Javascript code:

import { render, cancel } from 'timeago.js';

const nodes = document.querySelectorAll('.timeago');

// use render method to render nodes in real time
render(nodes, 'zh_CN');

// render with opts
// render(nodes, 'en_US', { minInterval: 3 });

// cancel all real-time render task
cancel();

// or cancel for the specific one
cancel(nodes[0])

The 3rd parameter opts contains:

export type Opts = {
  /** the relative date */
  readonly relativeDate?: TDate;
  /** the realtime min update interval */
  readonly minInterval?: number;
};

The DOM object should have the attribute datetime with date formatted string.

register

register(locale, localeFunc), register a new locale, build-in locale contains: en_US, zh_CN, all locales here.

You can register your own language with register API.

const localeFunc = (number: number, index: number, totalSec: number): [string, string] => {
  // number: the timeago / timein number;
  // index: the index of array below;
  // totalSec: total seconds between date to be formatted and today's date;
  return [
    ['just now', 'right now'],
    ['%s seconds ago', 'in %s seconds'],
    ['1 minute ago', 'in 1 minute'],
    ['%s minutes ago', 'in %s minutes'],
    ['1 hour ago', 'in 1 hour'],
    ['%s hours ago', 'in %s hours'],
    ['1 day ago', 'in 1 day'],
    ['%s days ago', 'in %s days'],
    ['1 week ago', 'in 1 week'],
    ['%s weeks ago', 'in %s weeks'],
    ['1 month ago', 'in 1 month'],
    ['%s months ago', 'in %s months'],
    ['1 year ago', 'in 1 year'],
    ['%s years ago', 'in %s years']
  ][index];
};
// register your locale with timeago
register('my-locale', localeFunc);

// use it
format('2016-06-12', 'my-locale');

Contributions

The website is based on rmm5t/jquery-timeago which is a nice and featured project but it depends on jQuery.
locale translations: The library needs more locale translations. You can:

Open an issue to write the locale translations, or submit a pull request. How to ? see locales translation.
Please test the locale by exec npm test. How to write test cases, see locales test cases.