Java Duration minus()

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In this guide, you will learn about the Duration minus() method in Java programming and how to use it with an example.

1. Duration minus() Method Overview

Definition:

The Duration.minus() method is used to return a new Duration instance which is the difference between the current duration and the specified duration.

Syntax:

public Duration minus(Duration duration)

Parameters:

- duration: The duration to be subtracted from the current duration. Should be of type Duration.

Key Points:

- The minus() method does not modify the original Duration instance but returns a new instance that represents the difference.

- The method can handle underflows, and if the resulting duration is too large in the negative, an ArithmeticException is thrown.

- Negative durations can be subtracted using this method, which would result in adding the absolute value of the duration to the original.

2. Duration minus() Method Example

import java.time.Duration;

public class DurationMinusExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Duration initialDuration = Duration.ofHours(5);
        Duration subtractDuration = Duration.ofHours(2);

        // Subtract the durations
        Duration resultDuration = initialDuration.minus(subtractDuration);

        // Print the resulting duration
        System.out.println("Resulting Duration: " + resultDuration);
    }
}

Output:

Resulting Duration: PT3H

Explanation:

In the provided example, we initially have a duration of 5 hours represented by initialDuration. 

We then have another duration of 2 hours represented by subtractDuration.

Using the minus() method, we subtract subtractDuration from initialDuration, resulting in a new Duration instance of 3 hours. The output, "PT3H", is the standard ISO-8601 representation for a duration of 3 hours.