MySQL convert timediff output to day, hour, minute, second format

Question

This is my query:

SELECT TIMEDIFF(end_time,start_time) AS \"total\" FROM `metrics`;

which gives me:

116:12:10

Answer 1

The easiest way to do this is

CONCAT(
  FLOOR(TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) / 86400), ' days ',
  FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 86400)/3600), ' hours ',
  FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 3600)/60), ' minutes ',
  (TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 60),  ' seconds'
)

To show only relevant information you'd need to do a more complex version

IF(
  FLOOR(TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) / 86400) = 0,
  IF(
    FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 86400)/3600) = 0,
    IF(
      FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 3600)/60) = 0,
      CONCAT((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 60),  ' seconds'),
      CONCAT(
        FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 3600)/60), ' minutes ',
        (TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 60),  ' seconds'
      )
    ),
    CONCAT(
      FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 86400)/3600), ' hours ',
      FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 3600)/60), ' minutes ',
      (TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 60),  ' seconds'
    )
  ),
  CONCAT(
    FLOOR(TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) / 86400), ' days ',
    FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 86400)/3600), ' hours ',
    FLOOR((TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 3600)/60), ' minutes ',
    (TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, startDate, endDate) % 60),  ' seconds'
  )
)