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From: Alvaro Herrera <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: BUG #7722: extract(epoch from age(...)) appears to be broken
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 03:05:57 -0300
Message-ID: <[email protected]> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]?body=unsub%20pgsql-bugs>

[email protected] wrote:
> The following bug has been logged on the website:
> 
> Bug reference:      7722
> Logged by:          Artem Anisimov
> Email address:      [email protected]
> PostgreSQL version: 9.2.1
> Operating system:   Slackware Linux 14.0/amd64
> Description:        
> 
> The following to queries give the same result (first arguments to age()
> differ in the day number only, second arguments are identical):
> 
> select extract(epoch from age('2012-11-23 16:41:31', '2012-10-23
> 15:56:10'));
> 
> and
> 
> select extract(epoch from age('2012-11-22 16:41:31', '2012-10-23
> 15:56:10'));

alvherre=# select age('2012-11-22 16:41:31', '2012-10-23 15:56:10');
       age        
------------------
 30 days 00:45:21
(1 fila)

alvherre=# select age('2012-11-23 16:41:31', '2012-10-23 15:56:10');
      age       
----------------
 1 mon 00:45:21
(1 fila)

The problem is that age() returns 30 days in one case, and "one month" in the
other; extract() then considers the month as equivalent to 30 days.  This is
documented as such, see [1].

[1] http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/functions-datetime.html

I think if you want a precise computation you should just subtract the two
dates and then extract epoch from the result.

alvherre=# select extract(epoch from timestamp '2012-11-22 16:41:31' - '2012-10-23 15:56:10');
 date_part 
-----------
   2594721
(1 fila)

alvherre=# select extract(epoch from timestamp '2012-11-23 16:41:31' - '2012-10-23 15:56:10');
 date_part 
-----------
   2681121
(1 fila)


-- 
Álvaro Herrera                http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training & Services


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