Bfec5f7d1a4aaafc5a2451be8c42d26a

When a page is cached, if you use the Rails ActionView helper "time_ago_in_words" the time will stay the same until the cache is refreshed, ie.: about 1 sec ago .... 1 hour later .... 1 sec ago.

Here's the solution in found at http://nullstyle.com/2007/6/3/caching-time_ago_in_words

Got any better solution ? Let me know ! 

# In one of your helper module, dump:
def cachable_time_ago_in_words(from)
  js_call = javascript_tag "document.write(DateHelper.timeAgoInWords(#{(from.to_i * 1000).to_json}) + ' ago');"
  "<noscript>on #{from.to_formatted_s(:long)}</noscript>#{js_call}"
end

# In your application.js
var DateHelper = {
  timeAgoInWords: function(from) {
   return this.distanceOfTimeInWords(new Date().getTime(), from);
  },

  distanceOfTimeInWords: function(to, from) {
    seconds_ago = ((to  - from) / 1000);
    minutes_ago = Math.floor(seconds_ago / 60);

    if(minutes_ago == 0) { return "less than a minute"; }
    if(minutes_ago == 1) { return "a minute"; }
    if(minutes_ago < 45) { return minutes_ago + " minutes"; }
    if(minutes_ago < 90) { return " about 1 hour"; }
    hours_ago  = Math.round(minutes_ago / 60);
    if(minutes_ago < 1440) { return "about " + hours_ago + " hours"; }
    if(minutes_ago < 2880) { return "1 day"; }
    days_ago  = Math.round(minutes_ago / 1440);
    if(minutes_ago < 43200) { return days_ago + " days"; }
    if(minutes_ago < 86400) { return "about 1 month"; }
    months_ago  = Math.round(minutes_ago / 43200);
    if(minutes_ago < 525960) { return months_ago + " months"; }
    if(minutes_ago < 1051920) { return "about 1 year"; }
    years_ago  = Math.round(minutes_ago / 525960);
    return "over " + years_ago + " years";
  }
}

# Then in your views use:
<%= cachable_time_ago_in_words Time.now %>

Refactorings

No refactoring yet !

Bfec5f7d1a4aaafc5a2451be8c42d26a

macournoyer

September 19, 2007, September 19, 2007 13:16, permalink

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Seems it doesn't work with AJAX request, here my solution, pretty simple
Thx James for reporting this!

def cachable_time_ago_in_words(from)
  if request.xhr?
    time_ago_in_words from
  else
    js_call = javascript_tag "document.write(DateHelper.timeAgoInWords(#{(from.to_i * 1000).to_json}) + ' ago');"
    "<noscript>on #{from.to_formatted_s(:long)}</noscript>#{js_call}"
  end
end
F6eddf2f983d23c2d031e407852625e9

jamesgolick

September 19, 2007, September 19, 2007 13:18, permalink

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But document.write is still gross, so here's my take

def cachable_time_ago_in_words(from, id_prefix = '')
  id = "#{id_prefix}_#{from.to_i}"
  content_tag :span, "", :id => id
  javascript_tag "$('#{id}').update(DateHelper.timeAgoInWords(#{(from.to_i * 1000).to_json}))"
end
Bfec5f7d1a4aaafc5a2451be8c42d26a

macournoyer

September 19, 2007, September 19, 2007 13:29, permalink

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You're right, but this does not degrade gracefully and the first content_atg won't be rendered, here's my fix

def cachable_time_ago_in_words(from, id_prefix = 'time_ago')
  id = "#{id_prefix}_#{from.to_i}"
  content_tag(:span, from.to_formatted_s(:long), :id => id) <<
  javascript_tag("$('#{id}').update(DateHelper.timeAgoInWords(#{(from.to_i * 1000).to_json}))")
end
501dac4c25141b9ecffecf6819fe086b

makenai

April 10, 2008, April 10, 2008 21:54, permalink

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In the rails version the numbers are not cast to Floats before dividing, so the results are not consistent when you put this code and time_ago_in_words side by side. Using Math.floor will give the proper results.

distanceOfTimeInWords: function(to, from) {
  seconds_ago = ((to  - from) / 1000);
  minutes_ago = Math.floor(seconds_ago / 60);

  if(minutes_ago == 0) { return "less than a minute"; }
  if(minutes_ago == 1) { return "1 minute ago"; }
  if(minutes_ago < 45) { return minutes_ago + " minutes"; }
  if(minutes_ago < 90) { return " about 1 hour"; }
  hours_ago  = Math.floor(minutes_ago / 60);
  if(minutes_ago < 1440) { return "about " + hours_ago + " hours"; }
  if(minutes_ago < 2880) { return "1 day"; }
  days_ago  = Math.floor(minutes_ago / 1440);
  if(minutes_ago < 43200) { return days_ago + " days"; }
  if(minutes_ago < 86400) { return "about 1 month"; }
  months_ago  = Math.floor(minutes_ago / 43200);
  if(minutes_ago < 525960) { return months_ago + " months"; }
  if(minutes_ago < 1051920) { return "about 1 year"; }
  years_ago  = Math.floor(minutes_ago / 525960);
  return "over " + years_ago + " years";
}

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