Comparing dates [duplicate]

Cocoa has couple of methods for this:

in NSDate

– isEqualToDate:  
– earlierDate:  
– laterDate:  
– compare:

When you use - (NSComparisonResult)compare:(NSDate *)anotherDate ,you get back one of these:

The receiver and anotherDate are exactly equal to each other, NSOrderedSame
The receiver is later in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedDescending
The receiver is earlier in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedAscending.

example:

NSDate * now = [NSDate date];
NSDate * mile = [[NSDate alloc] initWithString:@"2001-03-24 10:45:32 +0600"];
NSComparisonResult result = [now compare:mile];

NSLog(@"%@", now);
NSLog(@"%@", mile);

switch (result)
{
    case NSOrderedAscending: NSLog(@"%@ is in future from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedDescending: NSLog(@"%@ is in past from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedSame: NSLog(@"%@ is the same as %@", mile, now); break;
    default: NSLog(@"erorr dates %@, %@", mile, now); break;
}

[mile release];

Here buddy. This function will match your date with any specific date and will be able to tell whether they match or not. You can also modify the components to match your requirements.

- (BOOL)isSameDay:(NSDate*)date1 otherDay:(NSDate*)date2 {
NSCalendar* calendar = [NSCalendar currentCalendar];

unsigned unitFlags = NSYearCalendarUnit | NSMonthCalendarUnit |  NSDayCalendarUnit;
NSDateComponents* comp1 = [calendar components:unitFlags fromDate:date1];
NSDateComponents* comp2 = [calendar components:unitFlags fromDate:date2];

return [comp1 day]   == [comp2 day] &&
[comp1 month] == [comp2 month] &&
[comp1 year]  == [comp2 year];}

Regards, Naveed Butt