comparing dates in iPhone programming

Question

How do you compare the current date with another date in iPhone programming..

eg:

Date1= 1-10-2008

Date2=15-06-2009.

i want know Date1 is a future date or a past date..?

pls help me with code...

thanks and regards.. raju

Answer 1

In Cocoa, to compare dates, use one of isEqualToDate, compare, laterDate, and earlierDate methods on NSDate objects, instantiated with the dates you need.

Documentation:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/isEqualToDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/earlierDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/laterDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/compare:

Answer 2

If you make both dates NSDates you can use NSDate's compare: method:

NSComparisonResult result = [Date2 compare:Date1];

if(result==NSOrderedAscending)
    NSLog(@"Date1 is in the future");
else if(result==NSOrderedDescending)
    NSLog(@"Date1 is in the past")
else
    NSLog(@"Both dates are the same");

You can take a look at the docs here.

Answer 3

Cocoa has couple of methods for this:

in NSDate

– isEqualToDate:  
– earlierDate:  
– laterDate:  
– compare:

When you use - (NSComparisonResult)compare:(NSDate *)anotherDate ,you get back one of these:

The receiver and anotherDate are exactly equal to each other, NSOrderedSame
The receiver is later in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedDescending
The receiver is earlier in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedAscending.

example:

NSDate * now = [NSDate date];
NSDate * mile = [[NSDate alloc] initWithString:@"2001-03-24 10:45:32 +0600"];
NSComparisonResult result = [now compare:mile];

NSLog(@"%@", now);
NSLog(@"%@", mile);

switch (result)
{
    case NSOrderedAscending: NSLog(@"%@ is in future from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedDescending: NSLog(@"%@ is in past from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedSame: NSLog(@"%@ is the same as %@", mile, now); break;
    default: NSLog(@"erorr dates %@, %@", mile, now); break;
}

[mile release];