Calculate Time Elapsed between MySQL 'Time' Fields

In MySQL, you may have encountered a scenario where you need to determine the time elapsed between two 'time' fields. These fields typically represent the time remaining in an event rather than adhering to the traditional HH:MM format.

To accurately calculate the time difference, you can utilize the TIMESTAMPDIFF() function. Here's how it works:

TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, Time_Field_1, Time_Field_2)

In this function:

• Time_Field_1: Represents the starting time.
• Time_Field_2: Represents the ending time.

The function returns the time difference in minutes. For instance, if Time_Field_1 is 12:25 and Time_Field_2 is 5:45, the result would be 405 minutes.

To express this difference as a decimal, simply divide the result by 60:

TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, Time_Field_1, Time_Field_2)/60

In the aforementioned example, this would yield a decimal value of 6.75.

By utilizing this approach, you can effectively calculate the time elapsed between events and obtain the result in the desired format.