How to set Date type variables to initial value?

Question

I can't find the way to set Date type variables to initial or empty value(not use a user defined initial value...like '0001/01/01').

Like String type can set String.init() or "" to it's value, so can use isEmpty() to determine it is empty, but how to do that with Date type variables?

Answer 1

It depends on what you are going to accomplish.

Naturally there is no empty date.

• If the value of the date is irrelevant declare it with the current date

  let date = Date()
  

• If the date is supposed to be quite unspecified in the distant past or future there are

  let date = Date.distantPast
  
  let date = Date.distantFuture
  

• If the date can be a specific date use the reference dates

  let date = Date(timeIntervalSince1970: 0) // 1970/1/1
  
  let date = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: 0) // 2001/1/1