Time
A Swift micro-library for type-safe time calculations with strongly-typed intervals.
What is Time?
Time is a Swift micro-library that provides type-safe time calculations using strongly-typed intervals. It solves the problem of error-prone time representations (like using raw `TimeInterval` values) by offering clear, unit-specific types for seconds, minutes, hours, and more. This ensures compile-time safety and expressive syntax for time-based operations.
Swift developers working on iOS, macOS, or other Apple platform apps who need to handle time calculations, scheduling, or date manipulations. It’s especially useful for those prioritizing code safety and readability.
Developers choose Time over raw Foundation APIs because it eliminates common time-related bugs through strong typing, offers intuitive syntax (e.g., `10.minutes`), and integrates seamlessly with Swift and Foundation types like `Date` and `DispatchQueue`.
Overview
🕰 Type-safe time calculations in Swift
Use Cases
Best For
- Adding type safety to time-based calculations in Swift apps
- Replacing error-prone `TimeInterval` multiplications with expressive APIs
- Scheduling tasks with Grand Central Dispatch using readable time units
- Performing arithmetic across different time units (e.g., minutes to seconds)
- Extending time functionality with custom units like weeks or months
- Ensuring compile-time checks for time unit conversions in date manipulations
Not Ideal For
- Teams relying on Carthage or CocoaPods for dependency management without Swift Package Manager
- Applications requiring comprehensive date-time features like time zones, leap seconds, or calendar-based calculations
- Performance-sensitive code where the overhead of type abstractions must be minimized
- Projects targeting very old Swift versions or platforms not supported by modern Swift Package Manager
Pros & Cons
Pros
Prevents common time calculation errors by using distinct types for each unit (e.g., Interval<Minute>), ensuring compile-time checks instead of runtime bugs, as highlighted in the README's philosophy.
Offers intuitive syntax like `10.minutes` and seamless integration with Foundation's Date and DispatchQueue, making code more readable and reducing boilerplate, as shown in the usage examples.
Supports easy conversions between units via properties like `.inSeconds` and methods like `converted(to:)`, allowing arithmetic across different units without manual math, demonstrated in the operations section.
Allows defining custom units like weeks by conforming to the TimeUnit protocol, extending functionality to specific needs, with clear examples provided in the README for implementation.
Cons
Focuses solely on time intervals without built-in support for higher-level concepts like time zones, calendars, or date manipulations beyond basic additions, requiring additional libraries for full date-time handling.
Officially supports only Swift Package Manager, with Carthage and CocoaPods deprecated beyond version 1.0.1, which can be a barrier for projects using older dependency management systems, as noted in the installation section.
As a micro-library with just two files, it lacks the extensive tooling, documentation, and community support of larger frameworks, which might affect long-term maintenance and integration for complex projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
SwiftDate🐔 Toolkit to parse, validate, manipulate, compare and display dates, time & timezones in Swift.
DateToolsDates and times made easy in iOS
TimepieceIntuitive date handling in Swift
ChronologyRobust and type-safe date and time calculations for Swift
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