easier to track by allowing nil

2 files changed, 23 insertions, 14 deletions

diff --git a/time.go b/time.go
index 364f340..99a74e7 100644
--- a/time.go
+++ b/time.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func Time(someTimeAgoOrLaterNotsure any) string {
 	if len(guess) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%-15s", guess)
 	}
-	return FormatTime(t)
+	return FormatTime(*t)
 }
 
 func TimeLocal(someTimeAgoOrLaterNotsure any) string {
@@ -43,26 +43,34 @@ func TimeLocal(someTimeAgoOrLaterNotsure any) string {
 		}
 		return "nope"
 	}
-	return FormatTimeLocal(t)
+	return FormatTimeLocal(*t)
 }
 
 func GetTime(mightBeTimeMightNotBeTime any) (time.Time, error) {
 	_, t, err := TimeCheck(mightBeTimeMightNotBeTime)
-	return t, err
+	if t == nil {
+		var emptyTime time.Time
+		return emptyTime, err
+	}
+	return *t, err
 }
 
-func TimeCheck(maybeTime any) (string, time.Time, error) {
+func TimeCheck(maybeTime any) (string, *time.Time, error) {
 	var guess string
-	var t time.Time
+	var t *time.Time
 	var err error
 
 	switch v := maybeTime.(type) {
 	case time.Time:
 		// If the type is time.Time, 'v' is now a time.Time variable.
-		t = v
+		// t = v
+		return FormatTime(v), &v, err
 	case string:
 		// The type is string, so 'v' is a string variable.
 		t, err = doTimeString(v)
+		if t != nil {
+			return "", t, err
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			guess = v
 		}
@@ -71,7 +79,8 @@ func TimeCheck(maybeTime any) (string, time.Time, error) {
 		// 'v' is a *timestamppb.Timestamp. We must convert it.
 		// It's also good to check if it's a valid timestamp.
 		if v.IsValid() {
-			t = v.AsTime()
+			newt := v.AsTime()
+			return FormatTime(newt), &newt, nil
 		} else {
 			err = errors.New("pb time invalid")
 		}
@@ -79,7 +88,8 @@ func TimeCheck(maybeTime any) (string, time.Time, error) {
 	case timestamppb.Timestamp:
 		// Handle the less common case of a value type instead of a pointer.
 		if v.IsValid() {
-			t = v.AsTime()
+			newt := v.AsTime()
+			return FormatTime(newt), &newt, nil
 		}
 	default:
 		err = errors.Join(err, NoTime)
diff --git a/time.string.go b/time.string.go
index 5dae2c0..595fb4f 100644
--- a/time.string.go
+++ b/time.string.go
@@ -7,21 +7,20 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-func doTimeString(BUILDTIME string) (time.Time, error) {
-	var t time.Time
+func doTimeString(BUILDTIME string) (*time.Time, error) {
 	parts := strings.Split(BUILDTIME, ".")
 	if len(parts) == 1 {
 		// The input epoch seconds
 		// epochSeconds := int64(1758646486)
 		num, err := strconv.Atoi(BUILDTIME)
 		if err != nil {
-			return t, err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		epochSeconds := int64(num)
 		// Convert the epoch seconds to a time.Time object.
 		// time.Unix() creates the time in the UTC timezone by default.
-		t = time.Unix(epochSeconds, 0)
-		return t, errors.New("treated string as seconds")
+		t := time.Unix(epochSeconds, 0)
+		return &t, errors.New("treated string as seconds")
 	}
-	return t, NewFeature
+	return nil, NewFeature
 }