CFAbsoluteTime

CFAbsoluteTime is useful when you need to refer to a specific point in time. A CFAbsoluteTime value represents time as a number of seconds relative to the reference date of 1 January, 2001 00:00:00 GMT. A positive value represents a date after the reference date, a negative value represents a date before it.

Absolute time can be confusing at first because an absolute time value is literally a time interval (the number of seconds since the reference date), but it is interpreted as a specific instant in time. For example, the absolute time -32940326 indicates both a date and time—December 16th, 1999 at 17:54:34. An absolute time value cannot be used to refer to a date or a clock time independently, it always includes both.

CFAbsoluteTime is implemented as a double and can be compared with another absolute time using the standard C comparison operators.

CFTimeInterval

CFTimeInterval is appropriate when you need to measure duration. A CFTimeInterval represents elapsed time in seconds. As with CFAbsoluteTime, a CFTimeInterval is implemented using the C type double and so you can compare two CFTimeInterval values using the standard C comparison operators.

CFGregorianDate

CFGregorianDate represents time using the Gregorian calendar that has been in general use in Europe and the Western Hemisphere since 1582. A CFGregorianDate is implemented as a C structure with separate fields for years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. You can check any or all of the fields of a CFGregorianDate for validity. A Gregorian date can also be converted to and from an absolute time.

CFGregorianUnits

CFGregorianUnits is analogous to a CFTimeInterval in that it represents a duration rather than a specific point in time. Like CFGregorianDate, CFGregorianUnits is implemented as a C structure, but the data types of the fields are different to allow for larger values. For example, a CFGregorianDate will never have more than 52 weeks, or 24 hours, so the fields of the CFGregorianDate structure are implemented using the smallest data type appropriate for its maximum value. Because CFGregorianUnits is intended to represent arbitrary time intervals, it is implemented with 32 bit integers (except for seconds, which is of type double to allow for fractional values).

CFDate

If you need to place a date in a Core Foundation property list, it must be of type CFDate. A CFDate object is simply an absolute time “wrapped” as a Core Foundation opaque type. A Gregorian date must first be converted to an absolute time, and then it can become a CFDate object. A CFDate object can be compared with another CFDate using a standard Core Foundation comparison function. Note that a CFDate can only be created with an absolute time, CFTimeInterval values are not supported. Use a CFNumber to wrap ordinary floating point values like a CFTimeInterval. CFDate objects are immutable.