Question 1

How do I install Local Time in Rails 7 with importmaps?

Accepted Answer

Add the gem to your Gemfile, run bundle install, pin the npm package with bin/importmap pin local-time, and import it in application.js as shown in the README. Remember to start LocalTime and add event listeners for Turbo if using Hotwire.

Question 2

Local Time vs Rails built-in time_ago_in_words helper?

Accepted Answer

Local Time offers client-side conversion for cache efficiency and dynamic updates, while time_ago_in_words is server-side and may not handle user time zones. Local Time is better for cached pages with multiple time zones but requires JavaScript.

Question 3

Can I use Local Time with Turbo Drive or Stimulus?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the README includes an example with Turbo events; add an event listener for turbo:morph to re-run LocalTime. It's designed to integrate with modern Rails frontend tools like Hotwire.

Question 4

How to customize date formats in Local Time for different locales?

Accepted Answer

Configure the i18n object in JavaScript with locale-specific translations for dayNames and monthNames, then set LocalTime.config.locale. Note that default formats might need manual overrides, as mentioned in issue #128.

Question 5

What happens if JavaScript is disabled in Local Time?

Accepted Answer

Times will display as rendered in UTC without conversion, so users see server times. There's no automatic fallback, requiring alternative server-side logic for accessibility or no-JS scenarios.

Question 6

Does Local Time support all strftime format options?

Accepted Answer

No, the JavaScript implementation supports only specific directives like %a, %A, %b, %B, %d, %e, %H, %I, %l, %m, %M, %p, %P, %S, %w, %y, %Y, %Z. Check the README for the full list, as it's not 100% complete.

local_time

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