How to compare two dates in Objective-C

Cocoa has couple of methods for this:

in NSDate

– isEqualToDate:  
– earlierDate:  
– laterDate:  
– compare:

When you use - (NSComparisonResult)compare:(NSDate *)anotherDate ,you get back one of these:

The receiver and anotherDate are exactly equal to each other, NSOrderedSame
The receiver is later in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedDescending
The receiver is earlier in time than anotherDate, NSOrderedAscending.

example:

NSDate * now = [NSDate date];
NSDate * mile = [[NSDate alloc] initWithString:@"2001-03-24 10:45:32 +0600"];
NSComparisonResult result = [now compare:mile];

NSLog(@"%@", now);
NSLog(@"%@", mile);

switch (result)
{
    case NSOrderedAscending: NSLog(@"%@ is in future from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedDescending: NSLog(@"%@ is in past from %@", mile, now); break;
    case NSOrderedSame: NSLog(@"%@ is the same as %@", mile, now); break;
    default: NSLog(@"erorr dates %@, %@", mile, now); break;
}

[mile release];

If you make both dates NSDates you can use NSDate's compare: method:

NSComparisonResult result = [Date2 compare:Date1];

if(result==NSOrderedAscending)
    NSLog(@"Date1 is in the future");
else if(result==NSOrderedDescending)
    NSLog(@"Date1 is in the past");
else
    NSLog(@"Both dates are the same");

You can take a look at the docs here.

In Cocoa, to compare dates, use one of isEqualToDate, compare, laterDate, and earlierDate methods on NSDate objects, instantiated with the dates you need.

Documentation:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/isEqualToDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/earlierDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/laterDate:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDate_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDate/compare:

What you really need is to compare two objects of the same kind.

1. Create an NSDate out of your string date (@"2009-05-11") :
   http://blog.evandavey.com/2008/12/how-to-convert-a-string-to-nsdate.html

2. If the current date is a string too, make it an NSDate. If its already an NSDate, leave it.

..

NSString *date = @"2009-05-11"
NSString *nowDate = [[[NSDate date]description]substringToIndex: 10];
if([date isEqualToString: nowDate])
{
// your code
}