Elapsed time between timestamp variables in Function

On 04/02/2009 21:59, Nico Callewaert wrote:

To keep it simple, I have 2 variables, let's say A and B, both
TimeStamp. Now I would like to know the absolute value of elapsed
seconds between the 2 timestamps. Has to be absolute value, because
can be positive or negative, depends if A > B or A < B. I tried with
age(A, B), but that gives me something like 00:00:01, not really
numeric value for number of seconds.

I had to do something similar recently (interval to minutes), and rolled
my own:

create or replace function
interval_to_minutes(interval)
returns integer
as
$$
select
cast(
(
extract(hour from $1) * 60
+ extract(minute from $1)
) as integer
);
$$
language sql stable;

Then you can do:

select abs(interval_to_minutes(A - B));

HTH,

Ray.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond O'Donnell, Director of Music, Galway Cathedral, Ireland
rod@iol.ie
Galway Cathedral Recitals: http://www.galwaycathedral.org/recitals
------------------------------------------------------------------

2009/2/4 Nico Callewaert <callewaert.nico@telenet.be>:

Hi !

I saw previous postings about elapsed time between 2 timestamps, using
SELECT EXTRACT...
I have similar question, but it's not in a select statement, but between 2
variables in a function.

To keep it simple, I have 2 variables, let's say A and B, both TimeStamp.
Now I would like to know the absolute value of elapsed seconds between the 2
timestamps. Has to be absolute value, because can be positive or negative,
depends if A > B or A < B.
I tried with age(A, B), but that gives me something like 00:00:01, not
really numeric value for number of seconds.

Many thanks in advance !
Nico

EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM age(A,B)) ?

Osvaldo

Thanks a lot to everybody for the help !

----- Original Message -----
From: "Osvaldo Kussama" <osvaldo.kussama@gmail.com>
To: "Nico Callewaert" <callewaert.nico@telenet.be>
Cc: <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 2:59 AM
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Elapsed time between timestamp variables in Function