mp-units/docs/tutorials/tutorial_6.md

# Tutorial 6: Interop with `std::chrono`

Modern C++ applications often need to work with both time measurements (`std::chrono`) and
physical quantities (**mp-units**). This tutorial shows how these complementary libraries
can work together effectively. We'll use an autonomous driving scenario where `std::chrono`
handles system timestamps while **mp-units** ensures type-safe calculations on quantities.

## Problem statement

An autonomous driving system records two time points using a `std::chrono` clock when the car
passes two checkpoints. At each checkpoint, the odometer reading is also captured.
The system needs to:

- Calculate trip statistics (_duration_, _distance_, _average speed_)
- Schedule a driver alert for an upcoming rest area

The challenge is to seamlessly convert between `std::chrono` time representations and
**mp-units** physical quantities.

## Your task

Given two checkpoint measurements with `std::chrono` timestamps and odometer readings:

1. Convert the `std::chrono` time difference to **mp-units** _duration_.
2. Compute the _average speed_ using **mp-units** (_distance_ / _duration_).
3. Display trip details with appropriate units (minutes for _duration_, km/h for _speed_).
4. Predict when the car will reach a rest area 5 km ahead, assuming constant _speed_.
5. Schedule a driver alert using the predicted arrival time as a `std::chrono::time_point`.

Here is the initial code for your exercise:

```cpp
// ce-embed height=650 compiler=clang2110 flags="-std=c++23 -stdlib=libc++ -O3" mp-units=trunk
#include <mp-units/systems/si.h>
#include <chrono>
#include <iostream>

using namespace mp_units;
using namespace mp_units::si::unit_symbols;

using car_clock = std::chrono::system_clock;

// Display trip statistics
void print_trip_stats(QuantityOf<isq::duration> auto duration,
                      QuantityOf<isq::distance> auto distance,
                      QuantityOf<isq::speed> auto avg_speed)
{
  std::cout << "Duration: " << duration << "\n";
  std::cout << "Distance: " << distance << "\n";
  std::cout << "Avg Speed: " << avg_speed << "\n";
}

// Simulate scheduling a driver alert
void schedule_driver_alert(car_clock::time_point alert_time)
{
  std::cout << "[notification] Driver alert scheduled for " << alert_time;
}

int main()
{
  // Simulated odometer and time point readings
  quantity_point odo1(12345.6 * km);
  quantity_point odo2(12378.9 * km);
  auto tp2 = car_clock::now();
  auto tp1 = tp2 - std::chrono::minutes{20}; // 20 minutes earlier

  // Display trip statistics
  // TODO: Convert the difference between chrono time points to mp-units duration
  // TODO: Compute average speed using mp-units
  // TODO: Display trip details (duration[min], distance[km], avg_speed[km/h])

  // Schedule alert
  // TODO: Predict arrival time at a rest area 5 km ahead (constant speed)
  // TODO: Schedule alert with the predicted arrival time
}
```

??? "Solution"

    ```cpp
    #include <mp-units/systems/si.h>
    #include <chrono>
    #include <iostream>

    using namespace mp_units;
    using namespace mp_units::si::unit_symbols;

    using car_clock = std::chrono::system_clock;

    // Display trip statistics
    void print_trip_stats(QuantityOf<isq::duration> auto duration,
                          QuantityOf<isq::distance> auto distance,
                          QuantityOf<isq::speed> auto avg_speed)
    {
      std::cout << "Duration: " << duration << "\n";
      std::cout << "Distance: " << distance << "\n";
      std::cout << "Avg Speed: " << avg_speed << "\n";
    }

    // Simulate scheduling a driver alert
    void schedule_driver_alert(car_clock::time_point alert_time)
    {
      std::cout << "[notification] Driver alert scheduled for " << alert_time;
    }

    int main()
    {
      // Simulated odometer and time point readings
      quantity_point odo1(12345.6 * km);
      quantity_point odo2(12378.9 * km);
      auto tp2 = car_clock::now();
      auto tp1 = tp2 - std::chrono::minutes{20}; // 20 minutes earlier

      // Display trip statistics
      quantity duration = quantity_point{tp2} - quantity_point{tp1};
      quantity distance = odo2 - odo1;
      quantity avg_speed = distance / duration;
      print_trip_stats(duration.in<double>(min), distance, avg_speed.in(km / h));

      // Schedule alert
      car_clock::duration dur_to_arrival = (5 * km / avg_speed).force_in<car_clock::rep>();
      schedule_driver_alert(tp2 + dur_to_arrival);
    }
    ```


## References

- [User's Guide: Interoperability with Other Libraries](../users_guide/use_cases/interoperability_with_other_libraries.md)
- [API Reference](../api_reference.md)


## Takeaways

- **mp-units** and `std::chrono` are complementary
    - use `chrono` for clocks and system time,
    - use `mp-units` for type-safe computations.
- Interoperability lets you leverage the strengths of both libraries in real-world systems.
- Converting between compatible `std::chrono` types and **mp-units** quantities is implicit.
- Only in case of truncating conversions we need explicit casts and conversion functions.
- Always keep internal logic type-safe. Don't reach for fundamental types unless necessary.