A simple "how long ago" viewhelper for Flow3

AgoViewHelper.php

<?php
namespace ClausWitt\ViewHelpers;
/**
 * A view helper for getting a specific date as "how along ago"
 *
 *
 */
class AgoViewHelper extends \TYPO3\Fluid\Core\ViewHelper\AbstractViewHelper {

    /**
     * @var string
     */
    protected $tagName = 'span';

    /**
     * @param \DateInterval $dateDifference
     */
    private function renderDateDifference($dateDifference) {
        $str = 'from now';
        if($dateDifference->format('R')=='-') {
            $str = 'ago';
        }

        if($dateDifference->y > 0) {
            return $dateDifference->y . ' years ' . $str;
        }
        if($dateDifference->m > 0) {
            return $dateDifference->m . ' months ' . $str;
        }
        if($dateDifference->d > 0) {
            if($dateDifference->d>7) {
                $weeks = $dateDifference->d / 7;
                $weeks = \round($weeks);
                return $weeks . ' weeks ' . $str;
            }
            return $dateDifference->d . ' days ' . $str;
        }
        if($dateDifference->h > 0) {
            return $dateDifference->h . ' hours ' . $str;
        }
        if($dateDifference->i > 0) {
            return $dateDifference->i .  ' minutes ' . $str;
        }
        if($dateDifference->s > 0) {
            return 'just now';
        }
    }


    /**
     * Render the supplied DateTime as a string indicating how long ago (or from now) the given time is. It is rendered
     * as the largest possible value.
     *
     * Years if they are set.
     * then months if they are set.
     * then weeks or days if days are set
     * then hours if they are set
     * then minutes if they are set
     *
     *
     * @param mixed  $date   either a \DateTime object or a string that is accepted by \DateTime constructor
     *
     * @return string Formatted date
     * @api
     */
    public function render($date = NULL) {
        if($date === NULL) {
            $date = $this->renderChildren();
            if($date === NULL) {
                return '';
            }
        }
        if(!$date instanceof \DateTime) {
            try {
                $date = new \DateTime($date);
            } catch(\Exception $exception) {
                throw new \TYPO3\Fluid\Core\ViewHelper\Exception('"' . $date . '" could not be parsed by \DateTime constructor.', 1241722579);
            }
        }

        $diff = $date->diff(new \DateTime());

        return $this->renderDateDifference($diff);
    }
}