= Configuring Durations
:index-group: Unrevised
:jbake-date: 2018-12-05
:jbake-type: page
:jbake-status: published

The time based configuration properties of containers
and beans support plain english, such as:

* "1 hour"
* "27 minutes"
* "10 seconds"

For convenience it is possible to specify a _compound_ form, such as:

* "3 days and 2 hours"
* "1 hour, 45 minutes"
* "15 minutes, 23 seconds, and 10 milliseconds"

Spaces are also optional between the number and the time unit, which can
be nice when using the abbreviated forms:

* "1hr"
* "27m"
* "10s"
* "3d and 2hr"
* "1hr, 45min"
* "15m, 23s, and 10ms"

Abbreviations are accepted as follows:

[source,java]
----
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("NANOSECONDS")) return TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("NANOSECOND")) return TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("NANOS")) return TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("NANO")) return TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("NS")) return TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MICROSECONDS")) return TimeUnit.MICROSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MICROSECOND")) return TimeUnit.MICROSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MICROS")) return TimeUnit.MICROSECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MICRO")) return TimeUnit.MICROSECONDS;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MILLISECONDS")) return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MILLISECOND")) return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MILLIS")) return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MILLI")) return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MS")) return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("SECONDS")) return TimeUnit.SECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("SECOND")) return TimeUnit.SECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("SEC")) return TimeUnit.SECONDS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("S")) return TimeUnit.SECONDS;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MINUTES")) return TimeUnit.MINUTES;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MINUTE")) return TimeUnit.MINUTES;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("MIN")) return TimeUnit.MINUTES;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("M")) return TimeUnit.MINUTES;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("HOURS")) return TimeUnit.HOURS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("HOUR")) return TimeUnit.HOURS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("HRS")) return TimeUnit.HOURS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("HR")) return TimeUnit.HOURS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("H")) return TimeUnit.HOURS;

  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("DAYS")) return TimeUnit.DAYS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("DAY")) return TimeUnit.DAYS;
  if (u.equalsIgnoreCase("D")) return TimeUnit.DAYS;
----