~ 10^1 lines.
Goal: Provide just one (unix-time) getter obtain reactive date value; should mimic Date.now().
Other Date Formats?: Obtain manually as Date constructor takes a unix-time argument - and this package provides reactive unix-time.
Underneath: Polling interval with configurable period. The raw current value is hidden, since Date.now() is the preferred way to obtain non-reactive unix-time.
Tip: The argument to ReactiveDate should at most be on the order of the smallest unit of time you display to the users. Then, it will feel real-time.
Constructor: ReactiveDate.
//client
var updateInterval = 140 //milliseconds, defaults to 1000 if not provided
var reactiveDate = new ReactiveDate(updateInterval)
Methods: now, stop.
//client
Date.now() //vanilla method for getting non-reactive unix-time.
reactiveDate.now() //returns reactive unix-time (e.g. 1437554051424)
reactiveDate.stop() //clears the interval. MUST call this before deleting the object.
For Most Use Cases: You can instantiate one global ReactiveDate per client, and use it throughout the entire app, and you don't ever need to worry about the stop method.
For Special Cases: When having one universal variable doesn't cut it, you need to manage your intervals. When you're done with an instance, call the stop method to clear the interval. Don't lose the reference. The easiest and most natural way to manage this is to have these ReactiveDate instances tacked onto your Template instances, and then make use of the onDestroyed callback. If not, you can create your own global cache and store your ReactiveDate instances there.