Java Duration minus()

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.