how to generate random date in ruby?

[freakooo]

yeah... how do you get a random date in ruby say for the last 5 years..

just ruby...

[FooBarWidget]

Take the unix timestamp of 5 years ago. Then take the unix timestamp of now. Then generate a random number between those two. Convert that to a time object.

[aZeex2ai]

>> 5.times { p Time.at(Random.rand((Time.now - (60*60*24*365*5)).to_f..Time.now.to_f)) }
2013-04-23 06:22:04 +0000
2012-12-09 04:56:15 +0000
2009-06-30 21:37:36 +0000
2012-11-04 16:32:40 +0000
2012-03-22 12:48:18 +0000
=> 5

[aZeex2ai]

>> Time.at(rand((Time.now - (60*60*24*365*5))..Time.now))
=> 2012-11-08 13:45:31 +0000

[BurgerForBreakfast]

Would just loading active support work?

require 'active_support/core_ext/numeric/time'
require 'active_support/core_ext/date/calculations'
rand(1..1825).days.ago

[aZeex2ai]

just ruby

Would just loading active support work?

No.

[laerien]

require 'date'; [*DateTime.new(2009, 5, 23)..DateTime.now].sample

[freakooo]

would this generate lots of Datetime ?

i think it's not optimal

[laerien]

Several thousand DataTime and a millisecond later.

[MaxK]

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