TIMESTAMP
Print a Timestamp

TIMESTAMP is a C++ library which can print or return the current YMDHMS date as a timestamp.

This is useful when documenting the run of a program. By including a timestamp, the output of the program will always contain a clear indication of when it was created. Other indicators, such as the file timestamp, may be misleading or subject to unintentional modification.

TIMESTAMP simply gives the current time. If you are trying to do careful timings of the speed of execution of a computer code, this may not be very accurate, especially on a computer that uses timesharing. In that case, there are better solutions that measure just the CPU time associated with your process.

Licensing:

The computer code and data files described and made available on this web page are distributed under the GNU LGPL license.

Languages:

TIMESTAMP is available in a C version and a C++ version and a FORTRAN77 version and a FORTRAN90 version and a JAVA version and a Mathematica version and a MATLAB version and a PYTHON version.

Related Data and Programs:

TIMER, a C++ library which can be used to measure elapsed CPU time, rather than elapsed real time.

WTIME, a C++ library which returns a reading of the wall clock time in seconds.

Source Code:

• timestamp.cpp, the source code.
• timestamp.hpp, the include file.
• timestamp.sh, commands to compile the source code.

Examples and Tests:

• timestamp_prb.cpp, a sample calling program.
• timestamp_prb.sh, commands to compile, link and run the sample calling program.
• timestamp_prb_output.txt, the output file.

List of Routines:

• CPU_TIME reports the elapsed CPU time.
• TIME_NUMBERS returns the data as a string of integers.
• TIMESTAMP prints the current YMDHMS date as a time stamp.
• TIMESTRING returns the current YMDHMS date as a string.

You can go up one level to the C++ source codes.