format_duration

format_duration_v1.py

def format_duration(seconds):
    """
    Format a duration given in seconds as a string expressing the number of hours, minutes and seconds
    :param seconds: duration in seconds
    :type seconds: int or float
    :returns: str
    """

    minutes = int(seconds / 60)
    if minutes > 0:
        seconds = seconds - minutes * 60

    hours = int(minutes / 60)
    if hours > 0:
        minutes = minutes - hours * 60

    strings = []

    if hours == 1: # singular
        strings.append('{0} hour'.format(hours))
    elif hours > 0: # plural
        strings.append('{0} hours'.format(hours))

    if minutes == 1: # singular
        strings.append('{0} minute'.format(minutes))
    elif minutes > 0: # plural
        strings.append('{0} minutes'.format(minutes))

    if seconds == 1: # singular
        strings.append('{0} second'.format(seconds))
    else: # plural
        strings.append('{0} seconds'.format(seconds))

    return ' '.join(strings)

format_duration_v2.py

def format_duration(seconds, format='compressed'):
    """
    Format a duration given in seconds as a string expressing the number of hours, minutes and seconds
    :param seconds: duration in seconds
    :type seconds: int or float
    :param format: format (compressed, verbose)
    :returns: str
    """

    import datetime

    if format == 'compressed':
        delta = datetime.timedelta(seconds=seconds)
        return str(delta)
    else:
        minutes = int(seconds / 60)
        if minutes > 0:
            seconds = seconds - minutes * 60

        hours = int(minutes / 60)
        if hours > 0:
            minutes = minutes - hours * 60

        strings = []

        if hours == 1: # singular
            strings.append('{0} hour'.format(hours))
        elif hours > 0: # plural
            strings.append('{0} hours'.format(hours))

        if minutes == 1: # singular
            strings.append('{0} minute'.format(minutes))
        elif minutes > 0: # plural
            strings.append('{0} minutes'.format(minutes))

        if seconds == 1: # singular
            strings.append('{0} second'.format(seconds))
        else: # plural
            strings.append('{0} seconds'.format(seconds))

        return ' '.join(strings)