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getTimeAgo

Signature

Section titled “Signature”
getTimeAgo(units: Partial<Record<"hours" | "minutes" | "seconds" | "milliseconds" | "microseconds" | "nanoseconds", number>>): string

Return the PlainTime before now, as an ISO string, counted from the current time.

  • Reads the clock once, after units is checked.
  • units is an object of unit amounts (hours to nanoseconds), such as { minutes: 15 }. A duration string returns "". A fractional amount returns "": write { minutes: 90 } for an hour and a half.
  • Lengths are unsigned: a negative amount returns "". getTimeIn is the other direction.
  • A date unit returns "", even at zero.
  • Wraps at midnight and carries no day, so getTimeAgo({ hours: 24 }) is the time now. For a moment that keeps its date, use getDateTimeAgo or getZonedAgo.
  • Counts from now in the system time zone. Whole seconds, floored. For sub-second digits, use subtractDateTime(getNow(), units), which also keeps the date.
  • Examples read the clock at 2027-06-15T12:00:00Z, with the system time zone UTC.

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”
ParameterTypeDescription
unitsPartial<Record<"hours" | "minutes" | "seconds" | "milliseconds" | "microseconds" | "nanoseconds", number>>unit amounts, such as { minutes: 15 }; never negative

Returns

Section titled “Returns”

ISO PlainTime string in whole seconds, or "" for invalid units, a date unit, a negative amount or an unavailable system zone

Section titled “Related types”

Examples

Section titled “Examples”
import { getTimeAgo } from "@northguild/gmt/plain/get";


getTimeAgo({ minutes: 15 }) // "11:45:00"
output 

Source

Section titled “Source”

plain/get/getTimeAgo.ts

Code examples: MIT-0. Packages: MIT. Third-party data and components: their own licences, credited where they appear. Everything else:© 2026 NorthGuild, all rights reserved.