Unknown date format Zend Date

Question

I have to compare two dates, made by the zend object Zend_Date. One is stored in a config file as a string. In order to compare the two dates I have to read from the config file the date already in there and then compare it with the Zend_Date::now(). The code is the following:

 $config = new Zend_Config_Ini(APPLICATION_PATH.'/configs/oauth2.ini', 'authorization');
 $date = Zend_Date::now();
 $date_old =new Zend_Date($config->authorization->date, array('date_format'=>'dd/mmm/yyyy HH.mm.ss'));
 $date_old->add($config->authorization->timelapse, $date_old::SECONDS);
 if ($date->isLater($date_old)) {
    //Do what you have to do
 }

The error message I’m getting is:

 Message: Unknown dateformat type 'array'. Format 'dd/MMM/yyyy HH.mm.ss' must be a valid ISO or PHP date format string.

The string I’m giving to the Zend_Date object is:

 30/gen/2014 13.27.22

I thought the date format was right, what am I missing? Can anyone help?

Answer 1

The second parameter of Zend_Date constructor is a "part" string, but you pass an array. So this line should be:

$date_old = new Zend_Date($config->authorization->date, 'd/M/Y H.i.s'));

Moreover, there's another bug in your code - $date_old::SECONDS is incorrect. Try:

$date_old->add($config->authorization->timelapse, Zend_Date::SECOND);

Answer 2

Your date format string isn't proper.

You want it to be d/M/Y H.i.s per the documentation here: http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.date.php

d - is the two digit day
M - the three letter abbreviation of the month
Y - the four digit year
H - 24-hour clock with leading zeros
i - minutes with leading zeros
s - seconds

You don't need to repeat the characters to specify the number.

so this line:

$date_old =new Zend_Date($config->authorization->date, array('date_format'=>'dd/mmm/yyyy  H.mm.ss'));

becomes

$date_old =new Zend_Date($config->authorization->date, 'd/M/Y H.i.s');

Answer 3

As per the docs, the second argument for the Zend_Date constructor must be a STRING, you're passing in an array. Try

$date_old = new Zend_Date($config->authorization->date, 'dd/mmm/yyyy HH.mm.ss')
                                                        ^^^^^---not an array