def time_spent_in_words seconds, params={}
  time_periods_shown = params[:time_periods_shown] || 3
  use_short_names = params[:use_short_names] || false

  return "0 seconds" if seconds < 1
  short_name = {:second => :sec, :minute => :min, :hour => :hr, :day => :day, :week => :wk, :year => :yr}
  [[60, :second], [60, :minute], [24, :hour], [7, :day], [52, :week], [1000, :year]].map{ |count, name|
    if seconds > 0
      seconds, n = seconds.divmod(count)
      name = short_name[name] if use_short_names
      "#{n.to_i} #{name}".pluralize(n.to_i) if n.to_i > 0
    end
  }.compact.last(time_periods_shown).reverse.join(' ')
end

def time_spent_in_words seconds, params={}
    time_periods_shown = params[:time_periods_shown] || 3
    use_short_names = params[:use_short_names] || false

    return "0 seconds" if seconds < 1
    short_name = {:second => :sec, :minute => :min, :hour => :hr, :day => :day, :week => :wk, :year => :yr}
    [[60, :second], [60, :minute], [24, :hour], [7, :day], [52, :week], [1000, :year]].map{ |count, name|
      if seconds > 0
        seconds, n = seconds.divmod(count)
      puts name.inspect
        name = short_name[name] if use_short_names
      puts name.inspect
        "#{n.to_i} #{name}".pluralize(n.to_i) if n.to_i > 0
      end
    }.compact.last(time_periods_shown).reverse.join(' ')
  end

def time_spent_in_words seconds, time_periods_shown=3
    return "0 seconds" if seconds < 1
    [[60, :second], [60, :minute], [24, :hour], [7, :day], [52, :week], [1000, :year]].map{ |count, name|
      if seconds > 0
        seconds, n = seconds.divmod(count)
        "#{n.to_i} #{name}".pluralize(n.to_i) if n.to_i > 0
      end
    }.compact.last(time_periods_shown).reverse.join(' ')
end

def time_spent_in_words seconds, time_periods_shown=3
    return "0 seconds" if seconds < 1
    [[60, :second], [60, :minute], [24, :hour], [7, :day], [52, :week], [1000, :year]].map{ |count, name|
      if seconds > 0
        seconds, n = seconds.divmod(count)
        "#{n.to_i} #{name}".pluralize(n.to_i) if n.to_i > 0
      end
    }.compact.last(time_periods_shown).reverse.join(' ')
  end

A very concise ruby on rails helper method that converts seconds into human readable format.  It will not display any time periods that have 0 (ie: 1 hour 13 seconds - skipping minutes as there were none)  Due to complexity, months were not factored into this converter,  the function will go from weeks to years.  I welcome anyone that feels the urge to fork this with month's included. ;)

human readable time from seconds (helper)

rails, ruby

Rails