minTimestamp

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Introduction

In various applications, particularly those involving time-based data analysis or event logging, pinpointing the earliest timestamp is a frequent necessity. The minTimestamp function streamlines this process by evaluating an array of Firestore Timestamps and returning the earliest one.

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Key Features

• Earliest Timestamp Retrieval: Determines the first timestamp from a given array of Firestore Timestamps.
• Simplicity and Efficiency: Directly sorts and retrieves the earliest timestamp, ensuring a quick and straightforward operation.
• Handles Undefined Values: Appropriately deals with arrays containing undefined or missing timestamps.

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Utilization

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Preparing Timestamps for Evaluation

First, import minTimestamp and prepare an array of Firestore Timestamps:

import { firestore } from 'firebase-admin'
import { minTimestamp } from 'path-to-your-utilities'

// Example array of Firestore timestamps
const timestamps: PossiblyMissing<firestore.Timestamp>[] = [
  firestore.Timestamp.fromDate(new Date('2020-01-01')),
  firestore.Timestamp.now(),
  // More timestamps
]

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Finding the Earliest Timestamp

Use minTimestamp to identify the earliest timestamp from the array:

// Determine the earliest timestamp
const earliestTimestamp = minTimestamp(timestamps)

// 'earliestTimestamp' will be the earliest timestamp, or undefined if the array is empty

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Handling Arrays with Missing or No Timestamps

When provided with an array that is either empty or contains only missing (null/undefined) timestamps, minTimestamp returns undefined, allowing for clean handling of such cases.

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Best Practices

• Employ minTimestamp when you need to ascertain the first occurrence or the initiation of an event in your application.
• Verify that the array of timestamps is correctly populated to ensure accurate identification of the earliest timestamp.
• Be aware of potential discrepancies in timestamps due to time zone differences or inconsistent time settings across data sources.