---
title: duration() function
description: >
  `duration()` converts a value to a duration type.
menu:
  flux_v0_ref:
    name: duration
    parent: universe
    identifier: universe/duration
weight: 101
flux/v0/tags: [type-conversions]
introduced: 0.7.0
---

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`duration()` converts a value to a duration type.

`duration()` treats integers and unsigned integers as nanoseconds.
For a string to be converted to a duration type, the string must use
duration literal representation.

##### Function type signature

```js
(v: A) => duration
```

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For more information, see [Function type signatures](/flux/v0/function-type-signatures/).
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## Parameters

### v
({{< req >}})
Value to convert.




## Examples

- [Convert a string to a duration](#convert-a-string-to-a-duration)
- [Convert numeric types to durations](#convert-numeric-types-to-durations)
- [Convert values in a column to durations](#convert-values-in-a-column-to-durations)

### Convert a string to a duration

```js
duration(v: "1h20m")// Returns 1h20m


```


### Convert numeric types to durations

```js
duration(v: 4800000000000)

// Returns 1h20m
duration(v: uint(v: 9600000000000))// Returns 2h40m


```


### Convert values in a column to durations

Flux does not support duration column types.
To store durations in a column, convert duration types to strings.

```js
data
    |> map(fn: (r) => ({r with _value: string(v: duration(v: r._value))}))

```

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#### Input data

| _time                | tag  | _value    |
| -------------------- | ---- | --------- |
| 2022-01-01T05:00:00Z | t1   | -27000000 |
| 2022-01-01T09:00:10Z | t1   | 12000000  |
| 2022-01-01T11:00:20Z | t1   | 78000000  |
| 2022-01-01T16:00:30Z | t1   | 17000000  |
| 2022-01-01T19:00:40Z | t1   | 15000000  |
| 2022-01-01T20:00:50Z | t1   | -42000000 |


#### Output data

| _time                | _value  | tag  |
| -------------------- | ------- | ---- |
| 2022-01-01T05:00:00Z | -27ms   | t1   |
| 2022-01-01T09:00:10Z | 12ms    | t1   |
| 2022-01-01T11:00:20Z | 78ms    | t1   |
| 2022-01-01T16:00:30Z | 17ms    | t1   |
| 2022-01-01T19:00:40Z | 15ms    | t1   |
| 2022-01-01T20:00:50Z | -42ms   | t1   |

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