How to Efficiently Filter Dates in the Last 24 Hours from an Array in JavaScript

Discover a simple method to filter JavaScript dates to retrieve only those from the last 24 hours, without heavy libraries.
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How to Efficiently Filter Dates in the Last 24 Hours from an Array in JavaScript

If you are working with dates in JavaScript, especially when handling input from a MySQL database, you may encounter situations where you need to filter out dates that fall within the last 24 hours. This can become challenging, especially when the date formats differ. In this guide, we will break down how to effectively retrieve these dates from an array of transactions using JavaScript.

The Problem

Consider an array of user transactions that include a created_at timestamp. Your task is to filter this array and get all the transactions that occurred in the last 24 hours from the current time. Here is an example of an array you might have:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Challenge

The challenge lies in comparing these date strings effectively. JavaScript's Date object allows us to handle dates, but we need to convert the created_at strings into a format that can be compared with current time.

The Solution

To achieve this, we will write a function that filters out the transactions based on the timestamps. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to accomplish this:

Step 1: Get Current Time in Milliseconds

First, we need to calculate the time from 24 hours ago in milliseconds using the formula:

Current Time - (24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)

This calculates the milliseconds equivalent of 24 hours.

Step 2: Filter the Array

Using the filter method, we will compare each transaction’s created_at date (after converting it to milliseconds) to our calculated time from Step 1.

Final Code Example

Here's the complete code that integrates the above steps:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code

Date Calculation:

We create a variable date which holds the current time in milliseconds minus 24 hours.

Filter Method:

We use filter to return a new array containing only those transactions where the created_at timestamp is greater than or equal to the calculated date.

Output:

The function logs the filtered transactions to the console, allowing you to see only those within the last 24 hours.

Conclusion

By converting your date strings to milliseconds and utilizing JavaScript's built-in Date object, filtering transactions within a specific time frame becomes straightforward and efficient. This method allows you to work with dates without introducing heavy dependencies, making your code cleaner and more maintainable.

Now you're equipped to handle date filtering in your JavaScript projects! Give it a try in your codebase and see how it simplifies your date management tasks.