asked on

Coldfusion: TimeFormat to Float

Hi,

I have the following:

<cfset myStartTime = TimeFormat(#rsGetAssignment.ASS_STARTTIME#,'hh:mm:ss tt')>
<cfset myEndTime = TimeFormat(#FORM.CheckOutTime#,'hh:mm:ss tt')>
<cfset myHours = TimeFormat(#myEndTime# - #myStartTime#,'hh:mm')>

myHours gives the the right answer in hh:mm format. However, I need to convert this to a decimal to put into a Float field in my MS SQL database.

For example, if I get myHours to be 07:30, I need it to be 7.5.

Any suggestions? I'm a newbie, so be gentle... ha ha.

Thanks,
Todd

Scott Bennett

if it's always going to be in that format then you could do it like:

<cfset myHours = "07:30">
<cfset decimalhours = listgetat(myHours,1,":") + (listgetat(myHours,2,":")/60)>
<cfoutput>#decimalhours#</cfoutput>

Scott Bennett

as a short cut you can skip all those lines of code and just to this:
<cfoutput>#datediff("n",#rsGetAssignment.ASS_STARTTIME,FORM.CheckOutTime)/60#</cfoutput>

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Scott Bennett

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

_agx_

I would suggest using date functions to calculate the value.

<cfset floatHours = dateDiff("n", myStartTime, myEndTime) / 60 >
<cfoutput>#floatHours#</cfoutput>

Scott Bennett

>> <cfset floatHours = dateDiff("n", myStartTime, myEndTime) / 60 >

looks like the exact same solution I just posted 2 mins earlier:

datediff("n",rsGetAssignment.ASS_STARTTIME,FORM.CheckOutTime)/60

_agx_

Oops. I see some more comments were added.

> <cfset myEndTime = TimeFormat(#FORM.CheckOutTime#,'hh:mm:ss tt')>

TimeFormat() doesn't really do much here since it returns a string _not_ a datetime object. In other words, you're just converting a string to another string. If you're going to do any type of validation/conversion better to parse the values into datetime objects instead, then use the datetime objects in your function.

<cfset floatHours = dateDiff("n", myStartTimeObject, myEndTimeObject) / 60 >

_agx_

SBennett,

All I saw when I was posting was a comment about using string functions. I thought of a better solution and posted it. Obviously you must have had a similar thought since you posted a different solution a few minutes later. Welcome to the stateless nature of the web. ;)

tnoe0131

ASKER

_agx_ and SBennet - I appreciate both of your answers - and how fast you responded - it's working beautifully now!