Adobe plug-in: formatTime

The formatTime plug-in allows you to take any number of seconds and present them in a bucketed format, rounded to a desired benchmark value. Adobe recommends using this plug-in if you want to capture a time value in seconds and convert it into a bucket format (such as minutes, days, or weeks). This plug-in is unnecessary if you do not want to bucket second-based values into a time-rounded format.

Install the plug-in using tags in Adobe Experience Platform

Adobe offers an extension that allows you to use most commonly-used plug-ins.

1. Log in to the Data Collection UI using your AdobeID credentials.
2. Click the desired property.
3. Go to the Extensions tab, then click on the Catalog button
4. Install and publish the Common Analytics Plugins extension
5. If you haven’t already, create a rule labeled “Initialize Plug-ins” with the following configuration:
   • Condition: None
   • Event: Core – Library Loaded (Page Top)
6. Add an action to the above rule with the following configuration:
   • Extension: Common Analytics Plugins
   • Action Type: Initialize formatTime
7. Save and publish the changes to the rule.

Install the plug-in using custom code editor

If you do not want to use the plug-in extension, you can use the custom code editor.

1. Log in to the Data Collection UI using your AdobeID credentials.
2. Click on the desired property.
3. Go to the Extensions tab, then click the Configure button under the Adobe Analytics extension.
4. Expand the Configure tracking using custom code accordion, which reveals the Open Editor button.
5. Open the custom code editor and paste the plug-in code provided below into the edit window.
6. Save and publish the changes to the Analytics extension.

Install the plug-in using AppMeasurement

Copy and paste the following code anywhere in the AppMeasurement file after the Analytics tracking object is instantiated (using s_gi). Preserving comments and version numbers of the code in your implementation helps Adobe with troubleshooting any potential issues.

/******************************************* BEGIN CODE TO DEPLOY *******************************************/
/* Adobe Consulting Plugin: formatTime v2.0 */
function formatTime(ns,tf,bml){var f=ns,d=tf,e=bml;function h(b,d,c,e){if("string"!==typeof d)return!1;if("string"===typeof b)b=b.split(c||",");else if("object"!==typeof b)return!1;c=0;for(a=b.length;c<a;c++)if(1==e&&d===b[c]||d.toLowerCase()===b[c].toLowerCase())return!0;return!1}if(arguments&&"-v"===arguments[0])return{plugin:"formatTime",version:"2.0"};var b=function(){if("undefined"!==typeof window.s_c_il)for(var b=0,c;b<window.s_c_il.length;b++)if(c=window.s_c_il[b],c._c&&"s_c"===c._c)return c}();"undefined"!==typeof b&&(b.contextData.formatTime="2.0");if(!("undefined"===typeof f||isNaN(f)||0>Number(f))){b="";if("string"===typeof d&&"d"===d||("string"!==typeof d||!h("h,m,s",d))&&86400<=f){var c=86400;var g="days";b=isNaN(e)?1:c/(e*c)}else"string"===typeof d&&"h"===d||("string"!==typeof d||!h("m,s",d))&&3600<=f?(c=3600,g="hours",b=isNaN(e)?4:c/(e*c)):"string"===typeof d&&"m"===d||("string"!==typeof d||!h("s",d))&&60<=f?(c=60,g="minutes",b=isNaN(e)?2:c/(e*c)):(c=1,g="seconds",b=isNaN(e)?.2:c/e);b=Math.round(f*b/c)/b+" "+g;0===b.indexOf("1 ")&&(b=b.substring(0,b.length-1));return b}};
/******************************************** END CODE TO DEPLOY ********************************************/

Use the plug-in

The formatTime function uses the following arguments:

• ns (required, integer): The number of seconds to convert or format
• tf (optional, string): The type of format to return the seconds in; defaults to seconds
  • Set to "d" if you want the time in days (rounded to the closest 1/4 day benchmark by default)
  • Set to "h" if you want the time in hours (rounded to the closest 1/4 hour benchmark by default)
  • Set to "m" if you want the time in minutes (rounded to the closest 1/2-minute benchmark by default)
  • Set to "s" if you want the time in seconds (rounded to the closest 5 second benchmark by default)
• bml (optional, number): The length of the rounding benchmarks. Defaults to the benchmarks listed in the tf argument

The function returns the number of seconds formatted using the unit you specify in the tf argument. If the tf argument is not set:

• Anything less than a minute is rounded to the closest 5 second benchmark
• Anything between a minute and an hour is rounded to the closest 1/2-minute benchmark
• Anything between an hour and a day is rounded to the closest quarter-hour benchmark
• Anything greater than a day is rounded to the closest day benchmark

Examples

// Sets eVar1 to "10.5 hours".
// 38242 seconds equals 10 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds. Since the tf argument is not set, the value returned is the number of seconds converted to the nearest quarter-hour benchmark.
s.eVar1 = formatTime(38242);

// Sets eVar4 to "10.75 hours".
// 38250 seconds equals 10 hours, 37 minutes, and 30 seconds. This value rounds up to the nearest quarter hour.
s.eVar4 = formatTime(38250);

// Sets eVar9 to "637.5 minutes".
s.eVar9 = formatTime(38242, "m");

// Sets eVar14 to "640 minutes".
// The tf argument forces the returned value to minutes, while the bml argument forces the value to the nearest 20-minute increment.
s.eVar14 = formatTime(38242, "m", 20);

// Sets eVar2 to "126 seconds", the closest 2-second benchmark to 125 seconds.
s.eVar2 = formatTime(125, "s", 2);

// Sets eVar7 to "3 minutes", the closest 3-minute benchmark to 125 seconds.
s.eVar7 = formatTime(125, "m", 3);

// Sets eVar55 to "2.4 minutes, the closest 2/5-minute benchmark to 145 seconds.
s.eVar55 = formatTime(145, "m", .4);

Version History

2.0 (March 19, 2021)

• Added version number as context data.

1.1 (May 21, 2018)

• Added the bml argument to allow more flexibility in rounding

1.0 (April 15, 2018)

• Initial Release.