使用Swift 3，根据您的需要，您可以选择以下两种方式之一来解决您的问题。

1. 向用户显示两个日期之间的差异

你可以使用DateComponentsFormatter为你的应用程序界面创建字符串。DateComponentsFormatter有一个maximumUnitCount属性，声明如下:

var maximumUnitCount: Int { get set }

使用此属性可限制结果字符串中显示的单位数量。例如，将此属性设置为2，而不是“1h 10m, 30s”，生成的字符串将是“1h 10m”。当空间受限或希望将值舍入到最近的大单位时，请使用此属性。

通过将maximumUnitCount的值设置为1，可以保证仅以一个DateComponentsFormatter的单位(年、月、日、小时或分钟)显示差异。

下面的Playground代码显示了如何显示两个日期之间的差异:

import Foundation

let oldDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: -16200)
let newDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: 0)

let dateComponentsFormatter = DateComponentsFormatter()
dateComponentsFormatter.allowedUnits = [NSCalendar.Unit.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute]
dateComponentsFormatter.maximumUnitCount = 1
dateComponentsFormatter.unitsStyle = DateComponentsFormatter.UnitsStyle.full
let timeDifference = dateComponentsFormatter.string(from: oldDate, to: newDate)

print(String(reflecting: timeDifference)) // prints Optional("5 hours")

注意，DateComponentsFormatter对结果进行四舍五入。因此，4小时和30分钟的差异将显示为5小时。

如果你需要重复这个操作，你可以重构你的代码:

import Foundation

struct Formatters {

    static let dateComponentsFormatter: DateComponentsFormatter = {
        let dateComponentsFormatter = DateComponentsFormatter()
        dateComponentsFormatter.allowedUnits = [NSCalendar.Unit.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute]
        dateComponentsFormatter.maximumUnitCount = 1
        dateComponentsFormatter.unitsStyle = DateComponentsFormatter.UnitsStyle.full
        return dateComponentsFormatter
    }()

}

extension Date {
    
    func offset(from: Date) -> String? {
        return Formatters.dateComponentsFormatter.string(from: oldDate, to: self)
    }
    
}

let oldDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: -16200)
let newDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: 0)

let timeDifference = newDate.offset(from: oldDate)
print(String(reflecting: timeDifference)) // prints Optional("5 hours")

2. 在不设置格式的情况下获取两个日期之间的差异

如果不需要将两个日期之间的差异格式化显示给用户，则可以使用Calendar。日历有一个方法dateComponents(_:from:to:)，它有以下声明:

func dateComponents(_ components: Set<Calendar.Component>, from start: Date, to end: Date) -> DateComponents

返回两个日期的差值。

下面使用dateComponents(_:from:to:)的Playground代码展示了如何通过只返回一种日历类型的差异来检索两个日期之间的差异。组件(年、月、日、小时或分钟)。

import Foundation

let oldDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: -16200)
let newDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: 0)

let descendingOrderedComponents = [Calendar.Component.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute]
let dateComponents = Calendar.current.dateComponents(Set(descendingOrderedComponents), from: oldDate, to: newDate)
let arrayOfTuples = descendingOrderedComponents.map { ($0, dateComponents.value(for: $0)) }

for (component, value) in arrayOfTuples {
    if let value = value, value > 0 {
        print(component, value) // prints hour 4
        break
    }
}

如果你需要重复这个操作，你可以重构你的代码:

import Foundation

extension Date {
    
    func offset(from: Date) -> (Calendar.Component, Int)? {
        let descendingOrderedComponents = [Calendar.Component.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute]
        let dateComponents = Calendar.current.dateComponents(Set(descendingOrderedComponents), from: from, to: self)
        let arrayOfTuples = descendingOrderedComponents.map { ($0, dateComponents.value(for: $0)) }
        
        for (component, value) in arrayOfTuples {
            if let value = value, value > 0 {
                return (component, value)
            }
        }
        
        return nil
    }

}

let oldDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: -16200)
let newDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate: 0)

if let (component, value) = newDate.offset(from: oldDate) {
    print(component, value) // prints hour 4
}

Leo Dabus回答的一个小补充，提供复数版本，更易于人类阅读。

斯威夫特3

extension Date {
    /// Returns the amount of years from another date
    func years(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.year], from: date, to: self).year ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of months from another date
    func months(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.month], from: date, to: self).month ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of weeks from another date
    func weeks(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.weekOfMonth], from: date, to: self).weekOfMonth ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of days from another date
    func days(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.day], from: date, to: self).day ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of hours from another date
    func hours(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.hour], from: date, to: self).hour ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of minutes from another date
    func minutes(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.minute], from: date, to: self).minute ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of seconds from another date
    func seconds(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.second], from: date, to: self).second ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the a custom time interval description from another date
    func offset(from date: Date) -> String {
        if years(from: date)   == 1 { return "\(years(from: date)) year"   } else if years(from: date)   > 1 { return "\(years(from: date)) years"   }
        if months(from: date)  == 1 { return "\(months(from: date)) month"  } else if months(from: date)  > 1 { return "\(months(from: date)) month"  }
        if weeks(from: date)   == 1 { return "\(weeks(from: date)) week"   } else if weeks(from: date)   > 1 { return "\(weeks(from: date)) weeks"   }
        if days(from: date)    == 1 { return "\(days(from: date)) day"    } else if days(from: date)    > 1 { return "\(days(from: date)) days"    }
        if hours(from: date)   == 1 { return "\(hours(from: date)) hour"   } else if hours(from: date)   > 1 { return "\(hours(from: date)) hours"   }
        if minutes(from: date) == 1 { return "\(minutes(from: date)) minute" } else if minutes(from: date) > 1 { return "\(minutes(from: date)) minutes" }
        return ""
    }
}

在jose920405中添加了一些答案，使其与Swift 3.0及以上版本兼容

func getDateTimeDiff(dateStr:String) -> String {
    
    let formatter : DateFormatter = DateFormatter()
    formatter.timeZone = NSTimeZone.local
    formatter.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"
    
    let now = formatter.string(from: NSDate() as Date)
    let startDate = formatter.date(from: dateStr)
    let endDate = formatter.date(from: now)
    
    // *** create calendar object ***
    var calendar = NSCalendar.current
    
    // *** Get components using current Local & Timezone ***
    print(calendar.dateComponents([.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute, .second], from: startDate!))
    
    // *** define calendar components to use as well Timezone to UTC ***
    let unitFlags = Set<Calendar.Component>([.year, .month, .day, .hour, .minute, .second])
    calendar.timeZone = TimeZone(identifier: "UTC")!
    let dateComponents = calendar.dateComponents(unitFlags, from: startDate!, to: endDate!)
    
    // *** Get Individual components from date ***
    let years = dateComponents.year!
    let months = dateComponents.month!
    let days = dateComponents.day!
    let hours = dateComponents.hour!
    let minutes = dateComponents.minute!
    let seconds = dateComponents.second!
    
    var timeAgo = ""
    
    if (seconds > 0){
        if seconds < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Second Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(seconds) Second Ago"
        }
    }
    
    if (minutes > 0){
        if minutes < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Minute Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(minutes) Minutes Ago"
        }
    }
    
    if(hours > 0){
        if hours < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Hour Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(hours) Hours Ago"
        }
    }
    
    if (days > 0) {
        if days < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Day Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(days) Days Ago"
        }
    }
    
    if(months > 0){
        if months < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Month Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(months) Months Ago"
        }
    }
    
    if(years > 0){
        if years < 2 {
            timeAgo = "Year Ago"
        }
        else{
            timeAgo = "\(years) Years Ago"
        }
    }
    
    DLog("timeAgo is ===> \(timeAgo)")
    return timeAgo;
}

我在Leo Dabus的asnwer中添加了一个“长”版本，以防你想要一个字符串，说“2周前”而不是“2w”……

extension Date {
    func offsetLong(from date: Date) -> String {
        if years(from: date) > 0 {
            return years(from: date) > 1 ? "\(years(from: date)) years ago" : "\(years(from: date)) year ago"
        }
        if months(from: date) > 0 {
            return months(from: date) > 1 ? "\(months(from: date)) months ago" : "\(months(from: date)) month ago" 
        }
        if weeks(from: date) > 0 {
            return weeks(from: date) > 1 ? "\(weeks(from: date)) weeks ago" : "\(weeks(from: date)) week ago"
        }
        if days(from: date) > 0 {
            return days(from: date) > 1 ? "\(days(from: date)) days ago" : "\(days(from: date)) day ago" 
        }
        if hours(from: date) > 0 {
            return hours(from: date) > 1 ? "\(hours(from: date)) hours ago" : "\(hours(from: date)) hour ago"
        }
        if minutes(from: date) > 0 {
            return minutes(from: date) > 1 ? "\(minutes(from: date)) minutes ago" : "\(minutes(from: date)) minute ago"
        }
        if seconds(from: date) > 0 {
            return seconds(from: date) > 1 ? "\(seconds(from: date)) seconds ago" : "\(seconds(from: date)) second ago"
        }
        return ""
    }
}

这是一个较短的版本:基本上我现在尝试获得post时间戳与Date()之间的差异。

// MARK: - UPDATE Time Stamp
static func updateTimeStampPost(postTimeStamp: Date?, _ completion: (_ finalString: String?) -> Void) {
    // date in the current state
    let date = Date()
    let dateComponentFormatter = DateComponentsFormatter()

    // change the styling date, wether second minute or hour
    dateComponentFormatter.unitsStyle = .abbreviated
    dateComponentFormatter.allowedUnits = [.second, .minute, .hour, .day, .weekOfMonth]
    dateComponentFormatter.maximumUnitCount = 1

    // return the date new format as a string in the completion
    completion(dateComponentFormatter.string(from: postTimeStamp!, to: date))
}

对于XCode版本8.3.3和Swift 3.0:

    let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
    dateFormatter.dateStyle = .medium
    dateFormatter.timeStyle = .short

    var beginDate = "2017-08-24 12:00:00"
    var endDate = "2017-09-07 12:00:00"


    let startDateTime = dateFormatter.date(from: beginDate) //according to date format your date string
    print(startDateTime ?? "") //Convert String to Date

    let endDateTime = dateFormatter.date(from: endDate) //according to date format your date string
    print(endDateTime ?? "") //Convert String to Date

    let dateComponentsFormatter = DateComponentsFormatter()
    dateComponentsFormatter.allowedUnits = [NSCalendar.Unit.minute,NSCalendar.Unit.hour,NSCalendar.Unit.day]


   let interval = endDateTime!.timeIntervalSince(startDateTime!)
   var diff = dateComponentsFormatter.string(from: interval)!

   print(diff)

   var day_i  = 0
   var hour_i = 0
   var min_i = 0


     if (diff.contains("d"))
       {
              let day = diff.substring(to: (diff.range(of: "d")?.lowerBound)!)

               day_i  = Int(day)!
               print ("day --> \(day_i)")

               diff = diff.substring(from:(diff.range(of : " ")?.upperBound )!)
               print(diff)
       }


       let hour = diff.substring(to: (diff.range(of : ":")?.lowerBound )!)
       hour_i  = Int(hour)!
       print ("hour --> \(hour_i)")

       let min = diff.substring(from: (diff.range(of : ":")?.upperBound )!)
       min_i  = Int(min)!
       print ("min --> \(min_i)")