Solana: How can we perform comparisons using clock.unix_timestamps and the time provided by command arguments?

Here is an article on how to compare times using clock.unix_timestamps and those provided by instructions.arg:

Comparing Unix Timestamps in Solidity

When creating surveys or starting candidates, you should ensure that they are started before adding a candidate. However, if there are timing issues, it can be difficult to determine whether the survey was started properly.

In this article, we will explore how to compare clock.unix_timestamps and times provided using instructions.arg arguments in Solidity.

What is a Unix Timestamp?

A Unix timestamp is a number that represents the number of seconds that have passed since 1970. January 1, 00:00:00 UTC. It can be obtained using the Date.now() function or the unixTimestamp() method of the Date object.

clock.unix_timestamps in Solidity

In Solidity, you can get the current Unix timestamp using the following syntax:

const unixTimestamp = Date.now() / 1000;

• clock.unix_timestamps(Solidity 0.6.x and later)

const unixTimestamp1 = clock.unix_timestamps();
const unixTimestamp2 = instructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp();
if (unixTimestamp1 
// Poll started
} else (unixTimestamp1 > unixTimestamp2) {
// Poll did not start properly.
} else {
// Both polls started at the same time
}

• clock.unix_timestamps(0) (density 0.4.x and earlier)

const unixTimestamp1 = clock.unix_timestamps(0);
const unixTimestamp2 = instructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp();
if (unixTimestamp1 
// Poll started
} else (unixTimestamp1 > unixTimestamp2) {
// Poll did not start properly.
} else {
// Both polls started at the same time
}

Usinginstructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp()

Alternatively, you can use `instructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp()' to get the Unix timestamp for the instruction that started the poll. This is useful when you want to compare to a fixed time.

const unixTimestamp1 = instructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp();
const unixTimestamp2 = clock.unix_timestamps();
if (unixTimestamp1 
// Poll started
} else (unixTimestamp1 > unixTimestamp2) {
// Poll did not start properly.
} else {
// Both polls started at the same time
}

Conclusion

In summary, comparing the times given in the arguments of clock.unix_timestamps and instructions.arg(0).unixTimestamp() is simple in Solidity. By using one of these features, you can ensure that your poll is started properly, and can start candidates if necessary.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions or need additional help.