# abseil-duration-division¶

absl::Duration arithmetic works like it does with integers. That means that division of two absl::Duration objects returns an int64 with any fractional component truncated toward 0. See this link for more information on arithmetic with absl::Duration.

For example:

absl::Duration d = absl::Seconds(3.5);
int64 sec1 = d / absl::Seconds(1);     // Truncates toward 0.
int64 sec2 = absl::ToInt64Seconds(d);  // Equivalent to division.
assert(sec1 == 3 && sec2 == 3);

double dsec = d / absl::Seconds(1);  // WRONG: Still truncates toward 0.
assert(dsec == 3.0);


If you want floating-point division, you should use either the absl::FDivDuration() function, or one of the unit conversion functions such as absl::ToDoubleSeconds(). For example:

absl::Duration d = absl::Seconds(3.5);
double dsec1 = absl::FDivDuration(d, absl::Seconds(1));  // GOOD: No truncation.
double dsec2 = absl::ToDoubleSeconds(d);                 // GOOD: No truncation.
assert(dsec1 == 3.5 && dsec2 == 3.5);


This check looks for uses of absl::Duration division that is done in a floating-point context, and recommends the use of a function that returns a floating-point value.