Method for returning a random date between two dates

Rails
1

Hi,

I’m trying to create a method to return a random date within a range.
So far, I’ve come up with this…

require ‘parsedate’
def random_date (a, b)
adate = ParseDate.parsedate(a)
bdate = ParseDate.parsedate(b)
atime = Time.local(*adate)
btime = Time.local(*bdate)
atime + (rand * (atime - btime) )
end

…and it doesn’t seem to work–the dates returned aren’t within the
given range.

Can anyone spot what I’m doing wrong, or maybe is there a better way to
do this?

Best,

Jacob

Jacob P.
Trisignia

ph: 202-309-1047

2

Am Samstag, den 28.01.2006, 11:56 -0500 schrieb Jacob P.:

given range.

Can anyone spot what I’m doing wrong, or maybe is there a better way to do this?

I think you should do (btime - atime) to get the days between those
dates.

def random_date_between(from, till)
from = Date.parse(from) unless from.is_a? Date
till = Date.parse(till) unless till.is_a? Date
from + rand(till - from)
end

–
Norman T.

http://blog.inlet-media.de