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Date Support

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Jason Garber

22 years ago
Hello internals, Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, but... I've got a couple simple questions. 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really good set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e. not timestamps)? 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools for handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where the standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to go. Comments? 3. If there is no good reason for not adding this set of functions to the PHP core, what would be the method of designing an acceptable set of functions? PHP is a feature packed language, but it's strange that this does not exist in the core. Thanks for your time.
-- Best regards, Jason Garber mailto:jason@ionzoft.com IonZoft, Inc.

George Schlossnagle

22 years ago
On Aug 2, 2004, at 10:36 PM, Jason Garber wrote:
> Hello internals, > > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, > but... I've got a couple simple questions.
What's insufficient in strtotime() and strftime()? George

Jason Garber

22 years ago
Hello George, Because they both operate on an integer timestamp... two things: SELECT CURDATE() + INTERVAL 7 MONTH; echo strtotime("7/12/1900"); Timestamps are fine for things that are happening within a very limited range of dates. How do you add a given number of months to a date? how do you get the day of week for a given date? These are the types of functions that I am thinking of.
-- Best regards, Jason mailto:jason@ionzoft.com Monday, August 2, 2004, 10:40:45 PM, you wrote: GS> On Aug 2, 2004, at 10:36 PM, Jason Garber wrote: >> Hello internals, >> >> Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, >> but... I've got a couple simple questions. GS> What's insufficient in strtotime() and strftime()? GS> George

Robert Amos

22 years ago
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:08:17 -0400, Jason Garber <jason@ionzoft.com> wrote:
> Hello George, > > Because they both operate on an integer timestamp... > > two things: > SELECT CURDATE() + INTERVAL 7 MONTH; > echo strtotime("7/12/1900"); > > Timestamps are fine for things that are happening within a very limited > range of dates. How do you add a given number of months to a date? > how do you get the day of week for a given date? These are the > types of functions that I am thinking of. >
echo strtotime("now +7 months"); echo date('l', strtotime('2004-10-02')); || echo strftime('%A', strtotime('2004-10-02')); (latter supports locales) http://php.net/strtotime http://php.net/strftime http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manual/html_chapter/tar_7.html -bok

Derick Rethans

22 years ago
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004, George Schlossnagle wrote:
> > On Aug 2, 2004, at 10:36 PM, Jason Garber wrote: > > > Hello internals, > > > > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, > > but... I've got a couple simple questions. > > What's insufficient in strtotime() and strftime()?
They behave badly and are OS dependent... which makes it quite a mess in the code too; which is very hard to maintain now. Derick

Wez Furlong

22 years ago
http://pecl.php.net/package-info.php?package=Date It's not in the core because it is still relatively young. Maybe in a future release... --Wez. On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:36:14 -0400, Jason Garber <jason@ionzoft.com> wrote:

Jason Garber

22 years ago
Hello Wez, I must be missing something... I went to the link and couldn't find any documentation. I downloaded it and all the .tgz contained were a couple of .php scripts?
-- Best regards, Jason mailto:jason@ionzoft.com Monday, August 2, 2004, 10:41:09 PM, you wrote: WF> http://pecl.php.net/package-info.php?package=Date WF> It's not in the core because it is still relatively young. WF> Maybe in a future release... WF> --Wez. WF> On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:36:14 -0400, Jason Garber <jason@ionzoft.com> wrote:

Wez Furlong

22 years ago
Urgh, blame PEAR for that ;-) There is a PECL date extension that you can obtain from our CVS (see http://www.php.net/anoncvs.php): cvs -d :pserver:cvsread@cvs.php.net:/repository co pecl/date cd pecl/date phpize ./configure make install [ add date.so to php.ini ] --Wez. On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:07:49 -0400, Jason Garber <jason@ionzoft.com> wrote:

Joseph Lee

22 years ago
http://pear.php.net/package/Date/docs/1.4.2/ -----Original Message----- From: Jason Garber [mailto:jason@ionzoft.com] Sent: 03 August 2004 04:08 To: internals@lists.php.net Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Date Support Hello Wez, I must be missing something... I went to the link and couldn't find any documentation. I downloaded it and all the .tgz contained were a couple of .php scripts?
-- Best regards, Jason mailto:jason@ionzoft.com Monday, August 2, 2004, 10:41:09 PM, you wrote: WF> http://pecl.php.net/package-info.php?package=Date WF> It's not in the core because it is still relatively young. Maybe in WF> a future release... WF> --Wez. WF> On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:36:14 -0400, Jason Garber <jason@ionzoft.com> WF> wrote: >> Hello internals, >> >> Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, >> but... I've got a couple simple questions. >> >> 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really good >> set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e. not >> timestamps)? >> >> 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a >> large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools for >> handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where the >> standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to go. >> Comments? >> >> 3. If there is no good reason for not adding this set of functions >> to the PHP core, what would be the method of designing an acceptable >> set of functions? >> >> PHP is a feature packed language, but it's strange that this does not >> exist in the core. Thanks for your time. >> >> -- >> Best regards, >> Jason Garber mailto:jason@ionzoft.com >> IonZoft, Inc. >> >> -- >> PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List >> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php >> >> -- PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php

Jevon Wright

22 years ago
I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times... (and also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like. Yes, you can do it with date("...", $x); but then it's just awkward to remember all the operators. Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32 bit (2037)... when do you think Pecl's Date would get into PHP? Jevon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jason Garber" <jason@ionzoft.com> To: <internals@lists.php.net> Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 2:36 PM Subject: [PHP-DEV] Date Support

Derick Rethans

22 years ago
On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Jevon Wright wrote:
> I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times... (and > also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like. Yes, you > can do it with date("...", $x); but then it's just awkward to remember all > the operators.
Good point, I'll add that to the list.
> Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32 bit > (2037)... when do you think Pecl's Date would get into PHP?
The thing I'm working on should work for larger ranges than the 32bit range, except that I can't do DST information outside the range, as the timezone information files can not contain this :I Derick

John Lim

22 years ago
Hi There's a library that i wrote that supports timestamps > 2037. It takes advantage of the fact that PHP converts integers to floats on overflow. It uses the nearly the same api as date() and mktime(), to make porting easier. Regards, John See http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/adodb_date_library "Jevon Wright" <jevon@jevon.org> wrote in message news:011601c47920$8d116ba0$0a00a8c0@home.jevon.org...
> I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times... (and > also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like. Yes,
you

Marcus Börger

22 years ago
Hello John, how does that help? I mean sizeof(double) == 4 == sizeof(int/32). In other words the bitsize is the same. Only you get an exponent. The result is that you loose time information accuracy. regards marcus Tuesday, August 3, 2004, 10:34:18 AM, you wrote:
> Hi
> There's a library that i wrote that supports timestamps > 2037.
> It takes advantage of the fact that PHP converts integers to floats on > overflow. It uses the nearly the same api as date() and mktime(), to make > porting easier.
> Regards, John
> See http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/adodb_date_library
> "Jevon Wright" <jevon@jevon.org> wrote in message > news:011601c47920$8d116ba0$0a00a8c0@home.jevon.org... >> I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times... (and >> also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like. Yes, > you >> can do it with date("...", $x); but then it's just awkward to remember all >> the operators. >> >> Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32 bit >> (2037)... when do you think Pecl's Date would get into PHP? >> >> Jevon >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Jason Garber" <jason@ionzoft.com> >> To: <internals@lists.php.net> >> Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 2:36 PM >> Subject: [PHP-DEV] Date Support >> >> >> > Hello internals, >> > >> > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, >> > but... I've got a couple simple questions. >> > >> > 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really good >> > set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e. not >> > timestamps)? >> > >> > 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a >> > large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools for >> > handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where the >> > standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to go. >> > Comments? >> > >> > 3. If there is no good reason for not adding this set of functions >> > to the PHP core, what would be the method of designing an acceptable >> > set of functions? >> > >> > PHP is a feature packed language, but it's strange that this does not >> > exist in the core. Thanks for your time. >> > >> > -- >> > Best regards, >> > Jason Garber mailto:jason@ionzoft.com >> > IonZoft, Inc. >> > >> > -- >> > PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List >> > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php >> > >> > >>
-- Best regards, Marcus mailto:helly@php.net

John Lim

22 years ago
Hi Marcus, For 32 bit architectures, normally: sizeof(float) == 4, sizeof(double) == 8 or 10 So there is no floating point overflow fortunately. E.g. http://www.iota-six.co.uk/c/b3_float_double_and_sizeof.asp PS: i think the date() and mktime() functions could be extended using the algorithms described in the date library, if anyone is interested. It would make date( ) and mktime() much more user friendly. "Marcus Boerger" <helly@php.net> wrote in message news:1912137764.20040803104457@marcus-boerger.de...
> Hello John, > > how does that help? I mean sizeof(double) == 4 == sizeof(int/32). > In other words the bitsize is the same. Only you get an exponent. > The result is that you loose time information accuracy. > > regards > marcus > > Tuesday, August 3, 2004, 10:34:18 AM, you wrote: > > > Hi > > > There's a library that i wrote that supports timestamps > 2037. > > > It takes advantage of the fact that PHP converts integers to floats on > > overflow. It uses the nearly the same api as date() and mktime(), to
make
> > porting easier. > > > Regards, John > > > See http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/adodb_date_library > > > "Jevon Wright" <jevon@jevon.org> wrote in message > > news:011601c47920$8d116ba0$0a00a8c0@home.jevon.org... > >> I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times...
(and
> >> also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like.
Yes,
> > you > >> can do it with date("...", $x); but then it's just awkward to remember
all
> >> the operators. > >> > >> Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32
bit
> >> (2037)... when do you think Pecl's Date would get into PHP? > >> > >> Jevon > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Jason Garber" <jason@ionzoft.com> > >> To: <internals@lists.php.net> > >> Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 2:36 PM > >> Subject: [PHP-DEV] Date Support > >> > >> > >> > Hello internals, > >> > > >> > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, > >> > but... I've got a couple simple questions. > >> > > >> > 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really
good
> >> > set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e.
not
> >> > timestamps)? > >> > > >> > 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a > >> > large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools
for
> >> > handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where
the
> >> > standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to
go.
> >> > Comments? > >> > > >> > 3. If there is no good reason for not adding this set of functions > >> > to the PHP core, what would be the method of designing an
acceptable
> >> > set of functions? > >> > > >> > PHP is a feature packed language, but it's strange that this does
not

Marcus Börger

22 years ago
Hello John, ups you're right of course, i must be dreaming. Maybe you should talk to Derick about the internal functions and you should also have a look at pecl/date. marcus Tuesday, August 3, 2004, 11:32:38 AM, you wrote:
> Hi Marcus,
> For 32 bit architectures, normally:
> sizeof(float) == 4, sizeof(double) == 8 or 10
sizeof(long double) == 10
> So there is no floating point overflow fortunately.
> E.g. http://www.iota-six.co.uk/c/b3_float_double_and_sizeof.asp
> PS: i think the date() and mktime() functions could be extended using the > algorithms described in the date library, if anyone is interested. It would > make date( ) and mktime() much more user friendly.
> "Marcus Boerger" <helly@php.net> wrote in message > news:1912137764.20040803104457@marcus-boerger.de... >> Hello John, >> >> how does that help? I mean sizeof(double) == 4 == sizeof(int/32). >> In other words the bitsize is the same. Only you get an exponent. >> The result is that you loose time information accuracy. >> >> regards >> marcus >> >> Tuesday, August 3, 2004, 10:34:18 AM, you wrote: >> >> > Hi >> >> > There's a library that i wrote that supports timestamps > 2037. >> >> > It takes advantage of the fact that PHP converts integers to floats on >> > overflow. It uses the nearly the same api as date() and mktime(), to > make >> > porting easier. >> >> > Regards, John >> >> > See http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/adodb_date_library >> >> > "Jevon Wright" <jevon@jevon.org> wrote in message >> > news:011601c47920$8d116ba0$0a00a8c0@home.jevon.org... >> >> I always wished that PHP had VB's set of operators on dates/times... > (and >> >> also in SQL): year(), month(), date(), time_serial(), and the like. > Yes, >> > you >> >> can do it with date("...", $x); but then it's just awkward to remember > all >> >> the operators. >> >> >> >> Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32 > bit >> >> (2037)... when do you think Pecl's Date would get into PHP? >> >> >> >> Jevon >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: "Jason Garber" <jason@ionzoft.com> >> >> To: <internals@lists.php.net> >> >> Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 2:36 PM >> >> Subject: [PHP-DEV] Date Support >> >> >> >> >> >> > Hello internals, >> >> > >> >> > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, >> >> > but... I've got a couple simple questions. >> >> > >> >> > 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really > good >> >> > set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e. > not >> >> > timestamps)? >> >> > >> >> > 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a >> >> > large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools > for >> >> > handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where > the >> >> > standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to > go. >> >> > Comments? >> >> > >> >> > 3. If there is no good reason for not adding this set of functions >> >> > to the PHP core, what would be the method of designing an > acceptable >> >> > set of functions? >> >> > >> >> > PHP is a feature packed language, but it's strange that this does > not >> >> > exist in the core. Thanks for your time. >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > Best regards, >> >> > Jason Garber mailto:jason@ionzoft.com >> >> > IonZoft, Inc. >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List >> >> > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Best regards, >> Marcus mailto:helly@php.net
-- Best regards, Marcus mailto:helly@php.net

Sara Golemon

22 years ago
> Also, I'd always wished that PHP would have support for dates after 32 bit > (2037)... >
Funny my Athlon64 reports dates just fine up until 12/31/2147483647 (I blame glibc for not going clear out to 0x7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF -- silly signed ints...) -Sara

Derick Rethans

22 years ago
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004, Jason Garber wrote:
> Hello internals, > > Not to take away from the wonderful and lively "GOTO" discussion, > but... I've got a couple simple questions. > > 1. Is there a particular reason that PHP does not have a really good > set of functions for dealing with true date and time types (i.e. not > timestamps)?
I'm about 60% done with this ;-)
> 2. I think that good date and time handling in PHP would be a > large plus. MySQL provides, imho, a very effective set of tools for > handling dates. I think that this style of date handling, where the > standard format was YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS would be an ideal way to go. > Comments?
This is one format that I can parse... but the major format will be a "timestamp" of some sort. regards, Derick