The time() function is defined in the time.h header file. It is a utility function and it helps to measure the elapsed time. This function returns when the Epoch (00:00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970) is measured in seconds.
time_t time(time_t *second); #where second should be a pointer
The time() function takes a single parameter 'seconds' it helps to set the time_t object to store the time.
| Parameter | Description | Required / Optional |
|---|---|---|
| seconds | pointer to an object of type time_t, where the second's value will be stored | Required |
The function returns the current calendar time as a time_t object. If the parameter seconds is a NULL pointer the return value is not stored anywhere otherwise, the return value stored in the object pointed to by the second.
| Input | Return Value |
|---|---|
| if parameter | current calendar time |
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>
int main()
{
time_t sec;
sec = time(NULL);
printf("The hours since January 1, 1970 = %ld\n", sec/3600);
return(0);
}
Output:
The hours since January 1, 1970 = 393923
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>
int main (){
time_t secnd;
secnd = time(NULL);
printf("The seconds since January 1, 1970 = %ld\n", secnd);
return(0);
}
Output:
The seconds since January 1, 1970 = 1538123990
