CFLib.org – Common Function Library Project

Description:
Returns a qualitative description of a date, such as "Yesterday" or "Later this month".

Return Values:
Returns a string.

Example:

<cfset StartDate=Now()-10>
<cfset EndDate=Now()+10>
<cfloop from="#StartDate#" to="#EndDate#" index="TheDate">
    <cfoutput>
         #LSDateFormat(TheDate)#: #QualitativeDate(TheDate)#<br>
    </cfoutput>
</cfloop>

Parameters:

Full UDF Source:

/**
 * Qualitative description of a date.
 * 
 * @param date      Date you want to return a qualitative description for. 
 * @return Returns a string. 
 * @author Matthew Walker (matthew@cabbagetree.co.nz) 
 * @version 1, April 15, 2002 
 */
function QualitativeDate(Date) {

    var Today = Now();
    var YearsDifference = Year(Today) - Year(Date);
    var MonthsDifference = Month(Today) - Month(Date);
    var WeeksDifference = Week(Today) - Week(Date);
    var DaysDifference = DayOfWeek(Today) - DayOfWeek(Date);
    
    if ( DateCompare(Date, Now()) LT 1 ) {
        if ( YearsDifference GT 2 )
            return "A long time ago";
        if ( YearsDifference EQ 2 )
            return "Two years ago";
        if ( YearsDifference EQ 1 )
            return "Last year";
        if ( MonthsDifference GT 2 )
            return "Earlier this year";
        if ( MonthsDifference EQ 2 )
            return "Two months ago";
        if ( MonthsDifference EQ 1 )
            return "Last month";
        if ( WeeksDifference GT 2 )
            return "Earlier this month";
        if ( WeeksDifference EQ 2 )
            return "Two weeks ago";
        if ( WeeksDifference EQ 1 )
            return "Last week";    
        if ( DaysDifference GT 1 )
            return "Earlier this week";
        if ( DaysDifference EQ 1 )
            return "Yesterday";    
        return "Today";
    }        
    else {
        if ( YearsDifference LT -1 )
            return "Sometime in the future";
        if ( YearsDifference EQ -1 )
            return "Next year";
        if ( MonthsDifference LT -1 )
            return "Later this year";
        if ( MonthsDifference EQ -1 )
            return "Next month";
        if ( WeeksDifference LT 0 )
            return "Later this month";
        if ( DaysDifference LT -2 )
            return "Later this week";
        if ( DaysDifference EQ -2 )
            return "Two days from now";
        if ( DaysDifference EQ -1 )
            return "Tomorrow";    
        return "Today";    
    }        
}