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 the Adobe Experience Platform Launch extension

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

1. Log in to launch.adobe.com 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 Launch 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 launch.adobe.com 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 v1.1 (Requires inList plug-in) */
s.formatTime=function(ns,tf,bml){var s=this;if(!("undefined"===typeof ns||isNaN(ns)||0>Number(ns))){if("string"===typeof tf&&"d"===tf||("string"!==typeof tf||!s.inList("h,m,s",tf))&&86400<=ns){tf=86400;var d="days";bml=isNaN(bml)?1:tf/(bml*tf)} else"string"===typeof tf&&"h"===tf||("string"!==typeof tf||!s.inList("m,s",tf))&&3600<=ns?(tf=3600,d="hours", bml=isNaN(bml)?4: tf/(bml*tf)):"string"===typeof tf&&"m"===tf||("string"!==typeof tf||!s.inList("s",tf))&&60<=ns?(tf=60,d="minutes",bml=isNaN(bml)?2: tf/(bml*tf)):(tf=1,d="seconds",bml=isNaN(bml)?.2:tf/bml);ns=Math.round(ns*bml/tf)/bml+" "+d;0===ns.indexOf("1 ")&&(ns=ns.substring(0, ns.length-1));return ns}};

/* Adobe Consulting Plugin: inList v2.1 */
s.inList=function(lv,vtc,d,cc){if("string"!==typeof vtc)return!1;if("string"===typeof lv)lv=lv.split(d||",");else if("object"!== typeof lv)return!1;d=0;for(var e=lv.length;d<e;d++)if(1==cc&&vtc===lv[d]||vtc.toLowerCase()===lv[d].toLowerCase())return!0;return!1};
/******************************************** END CODE TO DEPLOY ********************************************/

Use the plug-in

The formatTime method 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 method 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

Example #1

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(38242);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “10.5 hours”

The argument passed in – 38242 seconds – is equal to 10 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds. Since the tf argument is not set in this call and the number of seconds passed in is between an hour and a day, the plug-in will return the number of second converted to the closest quarter-hour benchmark.

Example #2

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(38250);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “10.75 hours”
The argument passed in – 38250 seconds – is equal to 10 hours, 37 minutes, and 30 seconds. Rounding the number of seconds passed in to the closest quarter-hour benchmark in this case will set the final value to 10.75 hours

Example #3

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(38242, "m");

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “637.5 minutes”

In this case, the “m” argument forces the plug-in to convert the seconds to the closest ½-minute benchmark

Example #4

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(38242, "m", 20);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “640 minutes”

The tf argument value (“m”) forces the plug-in to convert the seconds into minutes, but the bml argument value (20) also forces the plug-in to round the minute conversion to the closest 20-minute benchmark.

Example #5

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(125, "s", 2);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “126 seconds”, which is the closest 2-second benchmark to 125 seconds

Example #6

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(125, "m", 3);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “3 minutes”, which is the closest 3-minute benchmark to 125 seconds

Example #7

The following code…

s.eVar1 = s.formatTime(145, "m", .4);

…will set s.eVar1 equal to “2.4 minutes”, which is the closest 2/5ths-minute benchmark (e.g. .4 = 2/5) to 145 seconds

Version History

1.1 (May 21, 2018)

• Added the bml argument to allow more flexibility in rounding

1.0 (April 15, 2018)

• Initial Release.