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diff --git a/ext/pybind11/docs/advanced/cast/chrono.rst b/ext/pybind11/docs/advanced/cast/chrono.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6d4a5ee55 --- /dev/null +++ b/ext/pybind11/docs/advanced/cast/chrono.rst @@ -0,0 +1,81 @@ +Chrono +====== + +When including the additional header file :file:`pybind11/chrono.h` conversions +from C++11 chrono datatypes to python datetime objects are automatically enabled. +This header also enables conversions of python floats (often from sources such +as `time.monotonic()`, `time.perf_counter()` and `time.process_time()`) into +durations. + +An overview of clocks in C++11 +------------------------------ + +A point of confusion when using these conversions is the differences between +clocks provided in C++11. There are three clock types defined by the C++11 +standard and users can define their own if needed. Each of these clocks have +different properties and when converting to and from python will give different +results. + +The first clock defined by the standard is ``std::chrono::system_clock``. This +clock measures the current date and time. However, this clock changes with to +updates to the operating system time. For example, if your time is synchronised +with a time server this clock will change. This makes this clock a poor choice +for timing purposes but good for measuring the wall time. + +The second clock defined in the standard is ``std::chrono::steady_clock``. +This clock ticks at a steady rate and is never adjusted. This makes it excellent +for timing purposes, however the value in this clock does not correspond to the +current date and time. Often this clock will be the amount of time your system +has been on, although it does not have to be. This clock will never be the same +clock as the system clock as the system clock can change but steady clocks +cannot. + +The third clock defined in the standard is ``std::chrono::high_resolution_clock``. +This clock is the clock that has the highest resolution out of the clocks in the +system. It is normally a typedef to either the system clock or the steady clock +but can be its own independent clock. This is important as when using these +conversions as the types you get in python for this clock might be different +depending on the system. +If it is a typedef of the system clock, python will get datetime objects, but if +it is a different clock they will be timedelta objects. + +Provided conversions +-------------------- + +.. rubric:: C++ to Python + +- ``std::chrono::system_clock::time_point`` → ``datetime.datetime`` + System clock times are converted to python datetime instances. They are + in the local timezone, but do not have any timezone information attached + to them (they are naive datetime objects). + +- ``std::chrono::duration`` → ``datetime.timedelta`` + Durations are converted to timedeltas, any precision in the duration + greater than microseconds is lost by rounding towards zero. + +- ``std::chrono::[other_clocks]::time_point`` → ``datetime.timedelta`` + Any clock time that is not the system clock is converted to a time delta. + This timedelta measures the time from the clocks epoch to now. + +.. rubric:: Python to C++ + +- ``datetime.datetime`` → ``std::chrono::system_clock::time_point`` + Date/time objects are converted into system clock timepoints. Any + timezone information is ignored and the type is treated as a naive + object. + +- ``datetime.timedelta`` → ``std::chrono::duration`` + Time delta are converted into durations with microsecond precision. + +- ``datetime.timedelta`` → ``std::chrono::[other_clocks]::time_point`` + Time deltas that are converted into clock timepoints are treated as + the amount of time from the start of the clocks epoch. + +- ``float`` → ``std::chrono::duration`` + Floats that are passed to C++ as durations be interpreted as a number of + seconds. These will be converted to the duration using ``duration_cast`` + from the float. + +- ``float`` → ``std::chrono::[other_clocks]::time_point`` + Floats that are passed to C++ as time points will be interpreted as the + number of seconds from the start of the clocks epoch. |