1 02/08/85  date_time_interval, dti
 2 
 3 Syntax as a command:  dti {time_string1} time_string2 {-control_args}
 4 
 5 
 6 Syntax as an active function:
 7    [dti {time_string1} time_string2 {-control_args}]
 8 
 9 
10 Function: returns the difference between two date values, relative to
11 the first, in offset terms: "0 yr 0 mo -2 da -6 hr 0 min -4.64 sec".
12 You are able to specify that the result be only in terms of certain
13 units.
14 
15 
16 Arguments:
17 time_string1
18    is the beginning of the interval.  If not specified, the current
19    time is used (see "Notes").
20 time_string2
21    is the end of the interval.  If the end is earlier than the
22    beginning, all numbers are preceeded by a minus sign (see "Notes").
23 
24 
25 Control arguments:
26 -brief, -bf
27    specifies that the units displayed are in the abbreviated form
28    (Default).
29 -fractional_digits {N}, -fd {N}
30    specifies the maximum number of fractional digits to be included on
31    the smallest unit.  The value being formatted is rounded to the
32    number of digits specified.  All trailing zeros are removed and then
33    the decimal point if it is last.  N can't exceed 20.  If you supply
34    no N, the maximum is used.  (Default: 2)
35 -zero_units, -zu
36    specifies that all units are output even if their value is zero
37    (e.g., "2 da 0 hr 0 min 4.2 sec".
38 
39 
40 -language STR, -lang STR
41    STR specifies the language in which the result is to be expressed.
42    This can be in any of the languages known to the date/time system.
43    If STR is "system_lang", the system default is used.  If you choose
44    no -language or it is present with STR being "", the per-process
45    default is used.  Use the display_time_info command to obtain a list
46    of acceptable language values.
47 -long, -lg
48    specifies that the units displayed are in the singular/plural form.
49 -no_zero_units, -nzu
50    specifies that any unit that has a value of zero are not included in
51    the output; however if all units are zero, the smallest is shown
52    with the value of "0".  Example: "2 da 4.2 sec".  (Default)
53 
54 
55 -units STRs
56    specifies that the result is to be expressed in terms of a given set
57    of units.  All arguments following -units on the command line are
58    taken as the set of units to use; therefore make -units, if given,
59    the last control argument.  You can enter the units in any language
60    available on the site and in any order.  All units, however, must be
61    in the same language.  These are the units that you can specify:
62    year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, and microsecond.  The
63    output appears in that order.
64 
65 
66 Notes: When you specify no units, this set is used--years, months,
67 days, hours, minutes, seconds.  A default result could look like this:
68 "-2 da -6 hr -4.05 sec"; but if the arguments given were: -fd -units
69 hr min, the same interval could be: -54 hr -0.0676252166666666666 min.
70 Note that there is a truncation in the first instance to two decimal
71 places with the corresponding loss of accuracy.
72 
73 See time_strings.gi for a description of valid time_string values.