# @google-cloud/precise-date
> A simple utility for precise-dateing functions and classes.
### Installing the package
It's unlikely you will need to install this package directly, as it will be
installed as a dependency when you install other `@google-cloud` packages.
```sh
$ npm install --save @google-cloud/precise-date
```
### Using the package
`PreciseDate` extends the native `Date` object, so you can use it in place of
that or when you need nanosecond precision.
```js
const {PreciseDate} = require('@google-cloud/precise-date');
const date = new PreciseDate('1547253035381101032');
date.toISOString();
// => 2019-01-12T00:30:35.381101032Z
date.toFullTimeString();
// => '1547253035381101032'
```
## API
### PreciseDate([time])
Returns a new `date` instance.
#### time
Type: `string` [`BigInt`][big_int] `Object` `[number, number]`
```js
// from a full ISO string
date = new PreciseDate('2019-02-08T10:34:29.481145231Z');
// from a string representing nanoseconds
date = new PreciseDate('1549622069481320032');
// from a BigInt representing nanoseconds (requires Node >= 10.7)
date = new PreciseDate(1549622069481320032n);
// from an object containing `seconds` and `nanos` values
date = new PreciseDate({seconds: 1549622069, nanos: 481320032});
// from a tuple representing [seconds, nanos]
date = new PreciseDate([1549622069, 481320032]);
```
#### PreciseDate.parseFull(time)
Similar to [`Date.parse()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/parse), but this accepts the same nanosecond time options as the `PreciseDate` constructor and returns a string representing the nanoseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
```js
PreciseDate.parseFull('2019-02-08T10:34:29.481145231Z');
// => '1549622069481145231'
```
#### PreciseDate.fullUTCString(...dateFields)
Similar to [`Date.UTC()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/UTC), but also accepts microsecond and nanosecond parameters. Returns a string that represents the number of nanoseconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC.
##### dateFields
Type: `...number`
```js
PreciseDate.fullUTCString(2019, 1, 8, 10, 34, 29, 481, 145, 231);
// => '1549622069481145231'
```
#### PreciseDate.fullUTC(...dateFields)
Like `PreciseDate.fullUTCString()` but returns a native [`BigInt`][big_int] instead of a string. **Requires Node >= 10.7.**
##### dateFields
Type: `...number`
```js
PreciseDate.fullUTC(2019, 1, 8, 10, 34, 29, 481, 145, 231);
// => 1549622069481145231n
```
### date
`PreciseDate` instance.
#### date.getFullTimeString()
Returns a string of the specified date represented in nanoseconds according to universal time.
#### date.getFullTime()
Like `date.getFullTimeString()` but returns a native [`BigInt`][big_int] instead of a string. **Requires Node >= 10.7.**
#### date.getMicroseconds()
Returns the microseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
#### date.getNanoseconds()
Returns the nanoseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
#### date.setMicroseconds(microseconds)
Sets the microseconds for a specified date according to universal time. Returns a string representing the nanoseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
##### microseconds
Type: `number`
#### date.setNanoseconds(nanoseconds)
Sets the nanoseconds for a specified date according to universal time. Returns a string representing the nanoseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
##### nanoseconds
Type: `number`
#### date.setFullTime(time)
Sets the time to the number of supplied nanoseconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. Returns a string representing the nanoseconds in the specified date according to universal time (effectively, the value of the argument).
##### time
Type: `number` `string` [`BigInt`][big_int]
#### date.toStruct()
Returns an object representing the specified date according to universal time.
Refer to [`google.protobuf.Timestamp`](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/docs/reference/google.protobuf#timestamp|google.protobuf.Timestamp) for more information about this format.
```js
const {seconds, nanos} = date.toStruct();
```
#### date.toTuple()
Like `date.toStruct()` but returns the `seconds` and `nanos` as a tuple.
```js
const [seconds, nanos] = date.toTuple();
```
[big_int]: https://github.com/tc39/proposal-bigint
## Versioning
This library follows [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
## Contributing
Contributions welcome! See the [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/googlecloudplatform/google-cloud-node/blob/master/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md).
## License
Apache Version 2.0
See [LICENSE](https://github.com/googlecloudplatform/google-cloud-node/blob/master/LICENSE)