How to get Epoch/UNIX Timestamps in Swift

In Swift, finding Epoch timestamps is straightforward, and there are multiple methods to accomplish this task. This article explores different ways to find Epoch timestamps in Swift and provides practical use cases.

Using the Date() Class

In Swift, you can use the Date() class to fetch the current time and calculate the current Epoch timestamp using the timeIntervalSince1970 property.

import Foundation

let currentTime = Date()
let epochTime = currentTime.timeIntervalSince1970
print("Current Epoch timestamp:", Int(epochTime))

This code snippet utilizes the Date() class to obtain the current time, and then it calculates the Epoch timestamp using timeIntervalSince1970.

Use Case 1: Logging Timestamps

import Foundation

let currentTime = Date()
let epochTime = currentTime.timeIntervalSince1970
let data = "Sensor data reading..."
print("\(data) - Timestamp: \(Int(epochTime))")

In this example, Swift code is adapted for logging data with timestamps. It obtains the current Epoch timestamp and combines it with sensor data for logging.

Use Case 2: Time Duration Calculation

import Foundation

let startTime = Date()

// Perform a task or operation

let endTime = Date()
let timeElapsed = endTime.timeIntervalSince(startTime)
print("Time taken: \(Int(timeElapsed)) seconds")

This use case demonstrates how to measure the time taken for a task. It records the start and end times using Date() and calculates the time elapsed in seconds.

Using the Date().timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate Property

You can also fetch the current Epoch timestamp using the timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate property of the Date() class.

import Foundation

let epochTime = Date().timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate
print("Current Epoch timestamp:", Int(epochTime))

This code snippet directly uses timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate to obtain the current Epoch timestamp.

Use Case 3: Expiry Timestamp for Cache

import Foundation

let epochTime = Date().timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate
let cacheKey = "cached_data"
let expiryTime = epochTime + 600 // 10 minutes from now
print("Cached data that expires at \(Int(expiryTime))")

if epochTime > expiryTime {
    print("Cache expired. Recaching data...")
    // Re-cache the data
}

In this example, the Swift code calculates the expiry time for cache data using the timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate property and checks if the cache has expired.

Use Case 4: Event Scheduling

import Foundation

var epochTime = Date().timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate
let eventTime = epochTime + 3600 // 1 hour from now

while true {
    let currentTime = Date()
    let currentEpochTime = currentTime.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate

    if currentEpochTime >= eventTime {
        print("Event occurred!")
        break
    }
}

This use case demonstrates how to schedule an event to occur in the future. Swift code adds 3600 seconds (1 hour) to the current time to set the event time and continuously checks for its occurrence.

These code examples illustrate how to find Epoch/UNIX timestamps in Swift and showcase their applications in practical scenarios. Whether you need to log data with timestamps, calculate time durations, set cache expiry times, or schedule events, Epoch timestamps are versatile tools in Swift for precise time-related operations.