Return the current time

[Mxrk]

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Hi, I sometimes need the current time in copilot (e.g. in Edit, Agent or Chat). Is it somehow possible to get it? It seems like the date is known but not the actual time.
I thought about having a script which updates a prompt.md file every minute, but this seems a bit overkill to pass the current time into the prompt - maybe there's an easier way.

[HackerOwl]

Here are a few ideas for how you could work with the current time without going to the extent of updating a file every minute:

1. Use Dynamic Date/Time Expressions in Code (If Supported)
   Some development environments (like GitHub Copilot or other AI-powered code editors) can handle dynamic expressions depending on the language you're using. For example, you can write a script or inline code that generates the current time dynamically when needed:

JavaScript (or Node.js): If you’re writing JavaScript, you can use the Date object to get the current time:

javascript
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const currentTime = new Date().toLocaleString();
console.log(currentTime);
This would print the current time whenever it’s executed in your code.

Python (in an agent script or prompt context): Python’s datetime module provides a simple way to get the current time:

python
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from datetime import datetime
current_time = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M:%S")
print(current_time)
This will print the current time in hours, minutes, and seconds.

If your environment allows executing code directly in the prompt, you can potentially use these language-specific methods to pull the time on demand.

2. Custom Variable or Function in the Prompt
   If the environment allows the creation of custom variables or the use of functions to get data, you could define a small helper function or script that generates the current time, making it part of your environment's context.

For instance, if you have some control over the prompt or the way the AI is invoked (e.g., with specific functions or macros), you could insert a function call for the current time.

Example for an environment like Copilot:

text
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{{current_time()}}
And have the system return the current time based on some function you’ve defined.

3. External Script with API Call or Time Sync
   You can create a small script that updates an external source (like a JSON or configuration file) with the current time and pull that into your prompt or use it dynamically when needed.

For example, you could use a simple script that calls a time API (like a public NTP or time API), and then use that data within your prompts.

You could set up a periodic call (e.g., every minute) to update this external source without having to manually update it each time.

Example using an API (could be in Python):

python
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import requests
from datetime import datetime

def get_current_time():
response = requests.get('http://worldclockapi.com/api/json/utc/now')
time_data = response.json()
current_time = time_data['currentDateTime']
return datetime.strptime(current_time, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ").strftime("%H:%M:%S")

print(get_current_time())
This would grab the current time from an external API, which you could use in your tool's workflow.

4. Use Your IDE/Environment's Built-in Features (If Applicable)
   If you're working in an environment that already has a time-based feature (like a timestamp), you could check if it has built-in access to the current time or date in its environment variables or prompts.

Some development environments allow pulling dynamic data like timestamps, so exploring your environment’s settings might uncover some built-in tools.

Hope this helps! Please check first this if this work

[Mxrk]

As far as I know you can’t write your own functions for copilot.