Lodash _.now() Date Method

Posted in lodash Tutorial

Updated on Oct 18, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 64 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In the vast landscape of JavaScript, dealing with dates and time is a common requirement for many developers. Lodash, a versatile utility library, offers a solution to simplify the process with the _.now() method.

This method provides a quick and efficient way to obtain the current timestamp, enabling developers to handle time-related tasks with ease.

🧠 Understanding _.now() Method

The _.now() method in Lodash is a straightforward utility that returns the current timestamp in milliseconds. It's a lightweight alternative to the native Date.now() method, offering consistent performance across different JavaScript environments.

💡 Syntax

The syntax for the _.now() method is straightforward:

syntax.js

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_.now()

📝 Example

Let's dive into a simple example to illustrate the usage of the _.now() method:

example.js

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const _ = require('lodash');

const currentTimestamp = _.now();

console.log(currentTimestamp);
// Output: Current timestamp in milliseconds

In this example, _.now() is used to obtain the current timestamp, which can be useful in various scenarios, such as measuring performance or tracking time-based events.

🏆 Best Practices

When working with the _.now() method, consider the following best practices:

Consistency with Native Method:

While _.now() is a convenient utility, consider using the native Date.now() method for consistency if your project doesn't rely heavily on Lodash. Both methods serve the same purpose of providing the current timestamp.
example.js
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```
const nativeTimestamp = Date.now();
console.log(nativeTimestamp);
```

Time Measurement:

Use _.now() for measuring the execution time of code blocks. Capture the timestamp before and after the code execution to calculate the elapsed time.

example.js

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const startTime = _.now();

// ... Code to measure ...

const endTime = _.now();
const elapsedTime = endTime - startTime;

console.log(`Elapsed Time: ${elapsedTime} milliseconds`);

📚 Use Cases

Benchmarking:

_.now() is valuable for benchmarking and performance measurement. Use it to capture timestamps before and after the execution of a specific task to assess its efficiency.

example.js

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const startBenchmark = _.now();

// ... Code to benchmark ...

const endBenchmark = _.now();
const benchmarkDuration = endBenchmark - startBenchmark;

console.log(`Benchmark Duration: ${benchmarkDuration} milliseconds`);

Event Timestamps:

When working with events or logs, _.now() can be used to timestamp events for tracking and analysis purposes.

example.js

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const logEvent = (message) => {
    const timestamp = _.now();
    console.log(`[${timestamp}] ${message}`);
};

logEvent('User logged in');

Timeout Management:

For precise timeout management, _.now() can help calculate the elapsed time since a specific point, aiding in accurate timeout adjustments.

example.js

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const startTime = _.now();

// ... Code execution ...

const elapsedTime = _.now() - startTime;

// Adjust timeout based on elapsedTime
const adjustedTimeout = 1000 - elapsedTime;

setTimeout(() => {
    // ... Code to execute after adjusted timeout ...
}, adjustedTimeout);

🎉 Conclusion

The _.now() method in Lodash is a handy utility for obtaining the current timestamp in milliseconds. Whether you're benchmarking code performance, tracking events, or managing timeouts, _.now() provides a concise and efficient solution for handling time-related tasks in JavaScript.

By adhering to best practices and exploring diverse use cases, you can harness the full potential of the _.now() method in your Lodash projects.