ligo/gitlab-pages/docs/advanced/timestamps-addresses.md

id	title
timestamps-addresses	Timestamps, Addresses

Timestamps

Timestamps in LIGO, or in Michelson in general are available in smart contracts, while bakers baking the block (including the transaction in a block) are responsible for providing the given current timestamp for the contract.

Current time

You can obtain the current time using the built-in syntax specific expression, please be aware that it's up to the baker to set the current timestamp value.

const today: timestamp = now;

When running code with ligo CLI, the option --predecessor-timestamp allows you to control what now returns.

Timestamp arithmetic

In LIGO, timestamps can be added with int(s), this enables you to set e.g. time constraints for your smart contracts like this:

In 24 hours

const today: timestamp = now;
const one_day: int = 86400;
const in_24_hrs: timestamp = today + one_day;
const some_date: timestamp = ("2000-01-01T10:10:10Z" : timestamp);
const one_day_later: timestamp = some_date + one_day;

24 hours ago

const today: timestamp = now;
const one_day: int = 86400;
const in_24_hrs: timestamp = today - one_day;

Comparing timestamps

You can also compare timestamps using the same comparison operators as for numbers:

const not_tommorow: bool = (now = in_24_hrs)

Addresses

address is a LIGO datatype used for Tezos addresses (tz1, tz2, tz3, KT1, ...).

Here's how you can define an address:

const my_account: address = ("tz1KqTpEZ7Yob7QbPE4Hy4Wo8fHG8LhKxZSx": address);