apoc.date.currentTimestamp

Details
Syntax	`apoc.date.currentTimestamp()`
Description	Returns the current Unix epoch timestamp in milliseconds.
Returns	`INTEGER`

Getting the current time using Cypher

Getting the current time using Cypher can be done using the Temporal functions - instant types.

These functions retrieve real time (time of function call), time tied to the statement, or time tied to the current transaction.

Cypher syntax for getting the current datetime

RETURN datetime.realtime()

Usage Examples

The following examples return the current timestamp in ms using both APOC and Cypher:

apoc.date.currentTimestamp

WITH apoc.date.currentTimestamp() AS outputInMs
RETURN outputinMs, datetime({epochMillis: output}) AS datetime;

Using Cypher’s datetime.realtime()

WITH datetime.realtime() AS output
RETURN output.epochMillis AS outputinMs, output AS datetime;

Results
outputinMs	datetime
1604571467744	2020-11-05T10:17:47.744Z

The following examples return the current timestamp before and after sleeping for 1000 ms using both APOC and Cypher:

apoc.date.currentTimestamp

WITH apoc.date.currentTimestamp() AS outputStart
CALL apoc.util.sleep(1000)
WITH outputStart, apoc.date.currentTimestamp() AS outputEnd
RETURN outputStart,
       datetime({epochMillis: outputStart}) AS datetimeStart,
       outputEnd,
       datetime({epochMillis: outputEnd}) AS datetimeEnd;

Using Cypher’s datetime.realtime()

WITH datetime.realtime() AS start
CALL apoc.util.sleep(1000)
WITH outputStart, datetime.realtime() AS end
RETURN start.epochMillis AS outputStart,
       start AS datetimeStart,
       end.epochMillis AS outputEnd,
       end AS datetimeEnd;

Results
outputStart	datetimeStart	outputEnd	datetimeEnd
1604571641430	2020-11-05T10:20:41.430Z	1604571642434	2020-11-05T10:20:42.434Z