bp_core_time_since() returns "x minutes" when it means "x minutes, y seconds"

[boonebgorges]

In writing unit tests for #5015, I found that bp_core_time_since( $now, $three_minutes_thirty_seconds_ago ) returns "3 minutes ago" rather than "3 minutes, 30 seconds ago".

This behavior is a result of line ​https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/1.7.2/bp-core/bp-core-functions.php#L504, where the comparison check is ( $i + 2 < $j ). 'seconds' is the last item in the array (of which $j is a count()), and so when you get to this point in the iteration, the less-than test fails. Changing it to <= fixes the issue, without affecting any other time combinations.

I took a spin through the changelog (it was a doozy) and found that the function has behaved this way since introduced in r204. I'm assuming it was copied over from somewhere else.

I don't think that this behavior is *intended*. However, I do think that it's *better* than the intended behavior, because really, who cares about the difference between 3 minutes and 3 minutes, 30 seconds?

If everyone is in agreement that the current behavior is better, I'll just write better inline docs and change my failing test. Otherwise, we can make the <= change suggested above and "fix" the underlying issue (though this may annoy users).

In the long run (and this is a topic for another ticket) it might be nice to allow bp_core_time_since() to accept a param or a filter that lets you set which time intervals will be split into two sections, and which will be collapsed into a single section.

[boonebgorges]

In 7101:

Adds unit tests for bp_core_time_since()

See #5017. See #5015

[johnjamesjacoby]

This was copied from ​bbPress's bb_since() function, and then iterated on. I agree that the existing functionality is a fortunate mistake, and that keeping it seems best.

I like the idea of allowing customization of the intervals. I'd like to connect some JS to them, and live-update timestamps in the DOM every 30 seconds, too. Lots we can do with timestamps and time-since in the future to make them more flexible and sexy.

[boonebgorges]

Sweet, thanks for the feedback. I'll fix the test and change the docs, and we can think more about enhancements down the road.

[boonebgorges]

In 7104:

Update tests and documentation for bp_core_time_since() to reflect seconds quirk

Fixes #5017