Get Current Date

Get Current Date

Prerequisites

Before using this node, ensure you have:

• Basic understanding of workflow creation in Agentic WorkFlow
• Appropriate browser permissions configured (if applicable)
• Required dependencies installed and configured

Overview

The Get Current Date node provides reliable access to current date and time information within browser-based workflows. This node handles timezone detection, precision control, and browser-specific timing considerations, making it essential for timestamping, scheduling, and time-based workflow logic.

Purpose and Functionality

Get Current Date serves as a fundamental timing tool that allows you to:

• Retrieve current date and time with multiple precision levels
• Handle browser timezone detection and conversion
• Generate timestamps for logging and audit trails
• Provide time-based inputs for scheduling and conditional logic
• Support multiple output formats for different use cases

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> BrowserTime: Request Current Time
    BrowserTime --> TimezoneDetection: Get Browser Timezone
    TimezoneDetection --> PrecisionControl: Apply Precision Settings
    PrecisionControl --> FormatSelection: Choose Output Format
    FormatSelection --> CacheCheck: Check Cache Settings
    CacheCheck --> OutputGeneration: Generate Final Output
    OutputGeneration --> [*]: Return Current Date

    CacheCheck --> CachedResult: Cache Hit
    CachedResult --> [*]: Return Cached Date

    note right of TimezoneDetection
        Auto-detect browser timezone
        or use specified timezone
    end note

    note right of PrecisionControl
        Second, millisecond,
        or microsecond precision
    end note

    note right of FormatSelection
        ISO, timestamp, object,
        or custom format
    end note

Key Features

• Browser Timezone Detection: Automatically detect user’s browser timezone
• Precision Control: Choose from second, millisecond, or microsecond precision
• Multiple Output Formats: ISO strings, timestamps, formatted dates, or structured objects
• Timezone Conversion: Convert current time to any specified timezone
• Caching Options: Cache current time for consistent timestamps across workflow execution

Primary Use Cases

• Timestamping: Add creation or modification timestamps to data
• Scheduling Logic: Get current time for scheduling and deadline calculations
• Audit Trails: Generate timestamps for logging and tracking purposes
• Time-Based Conditions: Use current time in conditional workflow logic

Parameters & Configuration

Required Parameters

None - the node works without any required parameters and uses sensible defaults.

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description	Example
timezone	string	"auto"	Target timezone or “auto” for browser detection	"America/New_York"
format	string	"ISO"	Output format: “ISO”, “timestamp”, “object”, “custom”	"timestamp"
precision	string	"millisecond"	Time precision: “second”, “millisecond”, “microsecond”	"second"
cache_duration	number	0	Cache duration in milliseconds (0 = no cache)	1000
custom_format	string	null	Custom format pattern when format is “custom”	"YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"

Advanced Configuration

{
  "timezone": "America/New_York",
  "format": "object",
  "precision": "millisecond",
  "cache_duration": 5000,
  "include_metadata": true,
  "browser_sync": {
    "sync_with_server": false,
    "ntp_servers": [],
    "max_drift_ms": 1000
  },
  "fallback_options": {
    "use_utc_on_error": true,
    "default_timezone": "UTC"
  }
}

Browser API Integration

Browser APIs Used

• Date API: Core JavaScript Date object for time retrieval
• Intl.DateTimeFormat: Timezone detection and formatting
• Performance API: High-precision timing when available
• Navigator API: Browser timezone and locale information

Cross-Browser Compatibility

Feature	Chrome	Firefox	Safari	Edge
Basic Date/Time	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full
Timezone Detection	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full
High Precision	✅ Full	✅ Full	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full
Performance Timing	✅ Full	✅ Full	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full

Security Considerations

• Timezone Privacy: Browser timezone can reveal user location
• Time Accuracy: Browser time may be inaccurate or manipulated by user
• Performance Timing: High-precision timing may be restricted for security
• Clock Skew: Browser clock may differ from server time

Input/Output Specifications

Input Data Structure

{
  "config": {
    "timezone": "America/New_York",
    "format": "object",
    "precision": "millisecond"
  }
}

Output Data Structure

{
  "current_date": {
    "iso_string": "2024-01-15T14:30:45.123Z",
    "timestamp": 1705329045123,
    "timezone": "America/New_York",
    "local_time": "2024-01-15T09:30:45.123-05:00",
    "components": {
      "year": 2024,
      "month": 1,
      "day": 15,
      "hour": 9,
      "minute": 30,
      "second": 45,
      "millisecond": 123
    }
  },
  "metadata": {
    "browser_timezone": "America/New_York",
    "timezone_offset": -300,
    "dst_active": false,
    "precision_used": "millisecond",
    "cache_hit": false,
    "generation_time": 2
  }
}

Practical Examples

Example 1: Simple Timestamp Generation

Scenario: Add a timestamp to user actions for audit logging

Configuration:

{
  "format": "ISO",
  "precision": "second"
}

Input Data:

{
  "user_action": "login",
  "user_id": "user123"
}

Expected Output:

{
  "current_date": "2024-01-15T14:30:45Z",
  "metadata": {
    "browser_timezone": "America/New_York",
    "precision_used": "second"
  }
}

Example 2: Timezone-Aware Scheduling

Scenario: Get current time in user’s timezone for scheduling logic

Configuration:

{
  "timezone": "auto",
  "format": "object",
  "precision": "millisecond",
  "include_metadata": true
}

Workflow Integration:

graph TD
    A[User Input] --> B[Get Current Date Node]
    B --> C[Schedule Calculation]

    A --> A1[Meeting Request
Duration: 60 min
Preference: Morning]

    B --> B1[Current Time Check]
    B --> B2[Timezone Detection]
    B --> B3[Precision Control]

    B1 --> C
    B2 --> C
    B3 --> C

    C --> C1{Time Analysis}
    C1 -->|Morning Available| C2[Schedule for 10:00 AM]
    C1 -->|Morning Full| C3[Suggest Afternoon]

    C2 --> D[Confirmed Appointment]
    C3 --> E[Alternative Options]

    subgraph "Current Time Context"
        F[9:30 AM - Available]
        G[11:30 AM - Too Late]
        H[2:30 PM - Alternative]
    end

    B --> F
    B --> G
    B --> H

    style B fill:#fff3e0
    style C1 fill:#e3f2fd
    style D fill:#e8f5e8

Complete Example:

{
  "input": {
    "meeting_request": {
      "duration_minutes": 60,
      "preferred_time": "morning"
    }
  },
  "current_time_check": {
    "timezone": "auto",
    "format": "object"
  },
  "output": {
    "current_date": {
      "iso_string": "2024-01-15T14:30:45.123Z",
      "local_time": "2024-01-15T09:30:45.123-05:00",
      "components": {
        "hour": 9,
        "minute": 30
      }
    },
    "scheduling_decision": {
      "can_schedule_today": true,
      "next_available_slot": "2024-01-15T10:00:00-05:00"
    }
  }
}

Examples

Basic Usage

This example demonstrates the fundamental usage of the GetCurrentDate node in a typical workflow scenario.

Configuration:

{
  "date": "example_value",
  "format": true
}

Input Data:

{
  "data": "sample input data"
}

Expected Output:

{
  "result": "processed output data"
}

Advanced Usage

This example shows more complex configuration options and integration patterns.

Configuration:

{
  "parameter1": "advanced_value",
  "parameter2": false,
  "advancedOptions": {
    "option1": "value1",
    "option2": 100
  }
}

Integration Example

Example showing how this node integrates with other workflow nodes:

1. Previous Node → GetCurrentDate → Next Node
2. Data flows through the workflow with appropriate transformations
3. Error handling and validation at each step

Integration Patterns

Common Node Combinations

Pattern 1: Audit Trail Creation

• Nodes: User Action → Get Current Date → Edit Fields → Database Insert
• Use Case: Add timestamps to all user actions for audit purposes
• Configuration Tips: Use consistent timezone and precision across all audit entries

Pattern 2: Time-Based Conditional Logic

• Nodes: Get Current Date → Extract Part Of A Date → IF Node → Action
• Use Case: Execute different actions based on current time
• Data Flow: Current time → time components → condition check → appropriate action

Best Practices

• Performance: Use caching for workflows that need multiple current time references
• Error Handling: Provide fallback timezone in case of detection failures
• Data Validation: Consider time accuracy limitations in browser environments
• Resource Management: Avoid excessive current time calls in loops

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Timezone Detection Failures

• Symptoms: Incorrect timezone or UTC fallback being used
• Causes: Browser privacy settings or unsupported timezone detection
• Solutions:
  1. Specify explicit timezone instead of “auto”
  2. Provide fallback timezone in configuration
  3. Test timezone detection across different browsers
• Prevention: Always provide explicit timezone for critical applications

Issue: Time Accuracy Problems

• Symptoms: Timestamps don’t match expected server time
• Causes: Browser clock drift or user-modified system time
• Solutions:
  1. Implement server time synchronization if accuracy is critical
  2. Use relative time differences instead of absolute timestamps
  3. Add time validation against known reference points
• Prevention: Document time accuracy limitations and implement validation

Performance Issues

• Frequent Time Calls: Use caching to reduce repeated time retrieval
• High Precision Overhead: Use lower precision if microsecond accuracy isn’t needed
• Timezone Calculations: Cache timezone data for repeated conversions

Limitations & Constraints

Technical Limitations

• Accuracy: Browser time accuracy depends on system clock and may drift
• Precision: Microsecond precision may not be available in all browsers

Browser Limitations

• Privacy Settings: Some browsers may restrict timezone detection
• Performance Timing: High-precision timing may be limited for security reasons
• Clock Manipulation: Users can modify system time affecting accuracy

Data Limitations

• Cache Duration: Maximum cache duration of 60 seconds to prevent stale data
• Timezone Support: Limited to IANA timezone database supported by browser
• Processing Time: Timezone calculations may add latency in high-frequency operations

Key Terminology

Field Transformation: Process of modifying data field names, types, or values

Type Conversion: Converting data from one type to another (string, number, boolean, etc.)

Data Validation: Process of ensuring data meets specified criteria and constraints

Schema: Structure definition that describes the format and constraints of data

Serialization: Process of converting data structures into a format for storage or transmission

Search & Discovery

Keywords

• data processing
• field manipulation
• type conversion
• data validation
• formatting
• transformation

Common Search Terms

• “transform”
• “convert”
• “format”
• “edit”
• “modify”
• “process”
• “validate”
• “clean”
• “restructure”

Primary Use Cases

• data cleaning
• format conversion
• field manipulation
• data validation
• report generation
• data processing

Learning Path

Skill Level: Beginner

Enhanced Cross-References

Workflow Patterns

• Data Processing Patterns
• Content Manipulation Patterns
• Data Validation Workflows

Related Tutorials

• Data Processing Fundamentals
• Advanced Data Manipulation

Practical Examples

• Real-World Use Cases
• Integration Examples
• Best Practice Examples

Related Nodes

Complementary Nodes

• FormatDate: Works well together in workflows
• AddToADate: Works well together in workflows
• ExtractPartOfADate: Works well together in workflows

Common Workflow Patterns

• GetCurrentDate → FormatDate → EditFields: Common integration pattern
• GetCurrentDate → AddToADate → FormatDate: Common integration pattern

See Also

• Data Processing Patterns
• Data Transformation Guide
• Data Mapping Expressions
• Field Validation Examples

Decision Guides:

• Data Transformation Decision Guide

General Resources:

• Workflow Patterns
• Integration Examples
• Node Types Overview

Additional Resources

• Browser Timezone Handling Guide
• Audit Trail Implementation Examples
• Time-Based Workflow Patterns