# Event Timestamps (EventGenerator)

The [Event Timestamps](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-reference/event-timestamps) generator generates timestamps that fit an event distribution. The source timestamp must include a date. It cannot be a time-only value.

## Link object structure <a href="#generator-api-event-timestamps-link-object" id="generator-api-event-timestamps-link-object"></a>

You can link columns to create a sequence of events across multiple columns. This generator can be partitioned by other columns.

The Event Timestamps generator does not support consistency. You cannot configure differential privacy.

The `metadata` object is populated from the [`EventMetadata`](https://app.tonic.ai/apidocs/index.html#/models/EventMetadata) object. You use `eventOrder` to specify the sequence of the generated datetime values in the linked columns.

The Event Timestamps generator does support partitioning, which is configured in the [`partitions` object outside of the `links` object](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/api/quick-start-guide/tonic-api-generator-assignment-structure#tonic-api-generator-partition-column-list).

```json
{
  "schema": "string",
  "table": "string",
  "column": "string",
  "metadata": {
    "generatorId": "EventGenerator",
    "eventOrder": integer,
    "encryptionProcessor": "x-on", //To use configured Structural data encryption
    "customValueProcessor": "string"  //If custom value processor applied
  }
}
```

## Example replacement <a href="#generator-api-event-timestamps-replacement" id="generator-api-event-timestamps-replacement"></a>

In this replacement example for the Event Timestamps generator, the `date_event1` and `date_event2` columns are linked. `date_event1` occurs first, and `date_event2` occurs second. The values are not partitioned.

```json
{
  "name": "date_event1,date_event2",
  "schema": "public",
  "table": "events",
  "links": [
    {
      "schema": "public",
      "table": "events",
      "column": "date_event1",
      "metadata": {
        "generatorId": "EventGenerator",
        "eventOrder": 1
      }
    },
    {
      "schema": "public",
      "table": "events",
      "column": "date_event2",
      "metadata": {
        "generatorId": "EventGenerator",
        "eventOrder": 2
      }
    }
  ],
  "partitions": []
}
```


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