How do I measure time elapsed in Java? [duplicate]

Answer 1

i found this code to be useful when timing things:

public class Et {
    public Et() {
    reset();
    }
    public void reset() {
    t0=System.nanoTime();
    }
    public long t0() {
        return t0;
    }
    public long dt() {
        return System.nanoTime()-t0();
    }
    public double etms() {
    return etms(dt());
    }
    @Override public String toString() {
        return etms()+" ms.";
    }
    public static double etms(long dt) {
        return dt/1000000.; // 1_000_000. breaks cobertura
    }
    private Long t0;
}

Answer 2

Unfortunately, none of the ten answers posted so far are quite right.

If you are measuring elapsed time, and you want it to be correct, you must use System.nanoTime(). You cannot use System.currentTimeMillis(), unless you don't mind your result being wrong.

The purpose of nanoTime is to measure elapsed time, and the purpose of currentTimeMillis is to measure wall-clock time. You can't use the one for the other purpose. The reason is that no computer's clock is perfect; it always drifts and occasionally needs to be corrected. This correction might either happen manually, or in the case of most machines, there's a process that runs and continually issues small corrections to the system clock ("wall clock"). These tend to happen often. Another such correction happens whenever there is a leap second.

Since nanoTime's purpose is to measure elapsed time, it is unaffected by any of these small corrections. It is what you want to use. Any timings currently underway with currentTimeMillis will be off -- possibly even negative.

You may say, "this doesn't sound like it would ever really matter that much," to which I say, maybe not, but overall, isn't correct code just better than incorrect code? Besides, nanoTime is shorter to type anyway.

Previously posted disclaimers about nanoTime usually having only microsecond precision are valid. Also it can take more than a whole microsecond to invoke, depending on circumstances (as can the other one), so don't expect to time very very small intervals correctly.

Answer 3

Your new class:

public class TimeWatch {    
    long starts;

    public static TimeWatch start() {
        return new TimeWatch();
    }

    private TimeWatch() {
        reset();
    }

    public TimeWatch reset() {
        starts = System.currentTimeMillis();
        return this;
    }

    public long time() {
        long ends = System.currentTimeMillis();
        return ends - starts;
    }

    public long time(TimeUnit unit) {
        return unit.convert(time(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
    }
}

Usage:

    TimeWatch watch = TimeWatch.start();
    // do something
    long passedTimeInMs = watch.time();
    long passedTimeInSeconds = watch.time(TimeUnit.SECONDS);

Afterwards, the time passed can be converted to whatever format you like, with a calender for example

Greetz, GHad

Answer 4

It is worth noting that

• System.currentTimeMillis() has only millisecond accuracy at best. At worth its can be 16 ms on some windows systems. It has a lower cost that alternatives < 200 ns.
• System.nanoTime() is only micro-second accurate on most systems and can jump on windows systems by 100 microseconds (i.e sometimes it not as accurate as it appears)
• Calendar is a very expensive way to calculate time. (i can think of apart from XMLGregorianCalendar) Sometimes its the most appropriate solution but be aware you should only time long intervals.

Answer 5

Use this:

SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm");

Date d1 = format.parse(strStartTime);
Date d2 = format.parse(strEndTime);

long diff = d2.getTime() - d1.getTime();
long diffSeconds,diffMinutes,diffHours;

if (diff > 0) {
diffSeconds = diff / 1000 % 60;
diffMinutes = diff / (60 * 1000) % 60;
diffHours = diff / (60 * 60 * 1000);
}
else{
long diffpos = (24*((60 * 60 * 1000))) + diff;
diffSeconds = diffpos / 1000 % 60;
diffMinutes = diffpos / (60 * 1000) % 60;
diffHours = (diffpos / (60 * 60 * 1000));
}

(Also it is important that for example if the startTime it's 23:00 and endTime 1:00 to get a duration of 2:00.)

the "else" part can get it correct

Answer 6

Which types to use in order to accomplish this in Java?

Answer: long

public class Stream {
    public long startTime;
    public long endTime;

    public long getDuration() {
        return endTime - startTime;
    }
    // I  would add
    public void start() {
        startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
    }
    public void stop() {
         endTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
     }
}

Usage:

  Stream s = .... 

  s.start();

  // do something for a while 

  s.stop();

  s.getDuration(); // gives the elapsed time in milliseconds. 

That's my direct answer for your first question.

For the last "note" I would suggest you to use Joda Time. It contains an interval class suitable for what you need.