Module | ActionView::Helpers::DateHelper
In: | lib/action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb

The Date Helper primarily creates select/option tags for different kinds of dates and date elements. All of the select-type methods share a number of common options that are as follows:

- `:prefix` - overwrites the default prefix of "date" used for the select names. So specifying "birthday" would give birthday[month] instead of date[month] if passed to the select_month method.
- `:include_blank` - set to true if it should be possible to set an empty date.
- `:discard_type` - set to true if you want to discard the type part of the select name. If set to true, the select_month method would use simply "date" (which can be overwritten using `:prefix`) instead of "date[month]".

### Methods

date_select datetime_select distance_of_time_in_words distance_of_time_in_words_to_now select_date select_datetime select_day select_hour select_minute select_month select_second select_time select_year time_ago_in_words

### Constants

DEFAULT_PREFIX | = | 'date' unless const_defined?('DEFAULT_PREFIX')

### Public Instance methods

date_select(object_name, method, options = {})

Returns a set of select tags (one for year, month, and day) pre-selected for accessing a specified date-based attribute (identified by `method`) on an object assigned to the template (identified by `object`). It’s possible to tailor the selects through the `options` hash, which accepts all the keys that each of the individual select builders do (like :use_month_numbers for select_month) as well as a range of discard options. The discard options are `:discard_year`, `:discard_month` and `:discard_day`. Set to true, they’ll drop the respective select. Discarding the month select will also automatically discard the day select. It’s also possible to explicitly set the order of the tags using the `:order` option with an array of symbols `:year`, `:month` and `:day` in the desired order. Symbols may be omitted and the respective select is not included.

Passing :disabled => true as part of the `options` will make elements inaccessible for change.

NOTE: Discarded selects will default to 1. So if no month select is available, January will be assumed.

Examples:

      date_select("post", "written_on")
      date_select("post", "written_on", :start_year => 1995)
      date_select("post", "written_on", :start_year => 1995, :use_month_numbers => true,
                                        :discard_day => true, :include_blank => true)
      date_select("post", "written_on", :order => [:day, :month, :year])
      date_select("user", "birthday",   :order => [:month, :day])

The selects are prepared for multi-parameter assignment to an Active Record object.

datetime_select(object_name, method, options = {})

Returns a set of select tags (one for year, month, day, hour, and minute) pre-selected for accessing a specified datetime-based attribute (identified by `method`) on an object assigned to the template (identified by `object`). Examples:

      datetime_select("post", "written_on")
      datetime_select("post", "written_on", :start_year => 1995)

The selects are prepared for multi-parameter assignment to an Active Record object.

distance_of_time_in_words(from_time, to_time = 0, include_seconds = false)

Reports the approximate distance in time between two Time objects or integers. For example, if the distance is 47 minutes, it’ll return "about 1 hour". See the source for the complete wording list.

Integers are interpreted as seconds. So, `distance_of_time_in_words(50)` returns "less than a minute".

Set `include_seconds` to true if you want more detailed approximations if distance < 1 minute

distance_of_time_in_words_to_now(from_time, include_seconds = false)

Alias for time_ago_in_words

select_date(date = Date.today, options = {})

Returns a set of html select-tags (one for year, month, and day) pre-selected with the `date`.

select_datetime(datetime = Time.now, options = {})

Returns a set of html select-tags (one for year, month, day, hour, and minute) pre-selected with the `datetime`.

select_day(date, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the days 1 through 31 with the current day selected. The `date` can also be substituted for a hour number. Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘day’ by default.

select_hour(datetime, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the hours 0 through 23 with the current hour selected. The `hour` can also be substituted for a hour number. Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘hour’ by default.

select_minute(datetime, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the minutes 0 through 59 with the current minute selected. Also can return a select tag with options by `minute_step` from 0 through 59 with the 00 minute selected The `minute` can also be substituted for a minute number. Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘minute’ by default.

select_month(date, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the months January through December with the current month selected. The month names are presented as keys (what’s shown to the user) and the month numbers (1-12) are used as values (what’s submitted to the server). It’s also possible to use month numbers for the presentation instead of names — set the `:use_month_numbers` key in `options` to true for this to happen. If you want both numbers and names, set the `:add_month_numbers` key in `options` to true. Examples:

      select_month(Date.today)                             # Will use keys like "January", "March"
      select_month(Date.today, :use_month_numbers => true) # Will use keys like "1", "3"
      select_month(Date.today, :add_month_numbers => true) # Will use keys like "1 - January", "3 - March"

Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘month’ by default.

If you would prefer to show month names as abbreviations, set the `:use_short_month` key in `options` to true.

select_second(datetime, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the seconds 0 through 59 with the current second selected. The `second` can also be substituted for a second number. Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘second’ by default.

select_time(datetime = Time.now, options = {})

Returns a set of html select-tags (one for hour and minute)

select_year(date, options = {})

Returns a select tag with options for each of the five years on each side of the current, which is selected. The five year radius can be changed using the `:start_year` and `:end_year` keys in the `options`. Both ascending and descending year lists are supported by making `:start_year` less than or greater than `:end_year`. The `date` can also be substituted for a year given as a number. Example:

      select_year(Date.today, :start_year => 1992, :end_year => 2007)  # ascending year values
      select_year(Date.today, :start_year => 2005, :end_year => 1900)  # descending year values

Override the field name using the `:field_name` option, ‘year’ by default.

time_ago_in_words(from_time, include_seconds = false)

Like distance_of_time_in_words, but where `to_time` is fixed to `Time.now`.

[Validate]