[SOLVED] Need help please.

[zhangy]

The following code echos database information. The problem is with the date. It doesn't echo the time like it should be returns the "bad date" message. Can anyone see what is wrong with this code?

 

<?php
function nicetime($date)
{
    if(empty($date)) {
        return "No date provided";
    }
    
    $periods         = array("second", "minute", "hour", "day", "week", "month", "year", "decade");
    $lengths         = array("60","60","24","7","4.35","12","10");
    
    $now             = time();
    $unix_date         = strtotime($date);
    
       // check validity of date
    if(empty($unix_date)) {    
        return "Bad date";
    }

    // is it future date or past date
    if($now > $unix_date) {    
        $difference     = $now - $unix_date;
        $tense         = "ago";
        
    } else {
        $difference     = $unix_date - $now;
        $tense         = "from now";
    }
    
    for($j = 0; $difference >= $lengths[$j] && $j < count($lengths)-1; $j++) {
        $difference /= $lengths[$j];
    }
    
    $difference = round($difference);
    
    if($difference != 1) {
        $periods[$j].= "s";
    }
    
    return "$difference $periods[$j] {$tense}";
}

require_once('load.php');

$sql = "SELECT * FROM $table ORDER BY sub_id";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or die("Error ". mysql_error(). " with query ". $sql);
if(mysql_num_rows($result) >= 1)
{

$date = date("Y-m-d H:i", $row['date']);
$timeago = nicetime($date); // 2 days ago


echo '<div id="front_page_post_container">';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
	echo '<div id="hover">';
	echo '<div id="title">';
	echo '<h2>';
	echo '<a href="post.php?id='.$row['id'].'">'.stripslashes($row['title']).'</a>';
	echo '</h2>';
	echo '</div>';
	echo '<div id="postr">';
	echo stripslashes(nl2br(substr($row['post'],0,450)));
	echo ' <a href="post.php?id='.$row['id'].'">Read on...</a>';
	echo '</div>';
	echo '<div id="date_container">';

	echo $timeago;

	echo '</div>';
	echo '</div>';
}
echo '</div>';
}
else
{
echo "That record does not exist!";
}
?>

 

 

[Ken2k7]

Why did you use strtotime on a date string after you formatted it with date? strtotime returns false in your case, so empty of false is true. If you want to do math, don't format the string. Instead, you can do:

$date = intval($row['date']);

[zhangy]

Because the date is entered into the database using time(). So i did that in order to format it.

[Ken2k7]

But it doesn't make any sense. You want it in Y-m-d H:i:s format, but you don't need it in that format. All you're doing is using nicetime() to print out some text. It looks like you want to format a UNIX time in Y-m-d H:i:s format and assume strtotime will format it back to UNIX time. If you're going to do that, why format it in the first place? I'm not understanding.

[zhangy]

You probably don't understand because of one of the same reasons I don't understand: which is because i pieced the code together like a puzzle from other scripts hoping to come up with a logical solution... Obviously it hasn't worked.

[Ken2k7]

So if you don't understand, how would I understand? ??? Have you even tried my suggestion a few posts up?

[zhangy]

Yes, I tried and got the message "No date provided".  :'(

[Ken2k7]

Show me the updated code please.

[zhangy]

<?php
function nicetime($date)
{
    if(empty($date)) {
        return "No date provided";
    }
    
    $periods         = array("second", "minute", "hour", "day", "week", "month", "year", "decade");
    $lengths         = array("60","60","24","7","4.35","12","10");
    
    $now             = time();
    $unix_date         = strtotime($date);
    
       // check validity of date
    if(empty($unix_date)) {    
        return "Bad date";
    }

    // is it future date or past date
    if($now > $unix_date) {    
        $difference     = $now - $unix_date;
        $tense         = "ago";
        
    } else {
        $difference     = $unix_date - $now;
        $tense         = "from now";
    }
    
    for($j = 0; $difference >= $lengths[$j] && $j < count($lengths)-1; $j++) {
        $difference /= $lengths[$j];
    }
    
    $difference = round($difference);
    
    if($difference != 1) {
        $periods[$j].= "s";
    }
    
    return "$difference $periods[$j] {$tense}";
}

require_once('load.php');

$sql = "SELECT * FROM $table ORDER BY sub_id";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or die("Error ". mysql_error(). " with query ". $sql);
if(mysql_num_rows($result) >= 1)
{

$date = intval($row['date']);
$timeago = nicetime($date); // 2 days ago


echo '<div id="front_page_post_container">';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
	echo '<div id="hover">';
	echo '<div id="title">';
	echo '<h2>';
	echo '<a href="post.php?id='.$row['id'].'">'.stripslashes($row['title']).'</a>';
	echo '</h2>';
	echo '</div>';
	echo '<div id="postr">';
	echo stripslashes(nl2br(substr($row['post'],0,450)));
	echo ' <a href="post.php?id='.$row['id'].'">Read on...</a>';
	echo '</div>';
	echo '<div id="date_container">';

	echo $timeago;

	echo '</div>';
	echo '</div>';
}
echo '</div>';
}
else
{
echo "That record does not exist!";
}
?>

[Ken2k7]

Change:

    $unix_date         = strtotime($date);

 

To

    $unix_date         = $date;

[zhangy]

Ah, still get "no date provided". I don't understand it. 

[Ken2k7]

Hmm... change:

$date = intval($row['date']);

 

To

var_dump($row['date']);
$date = intval($row['date']);

 

Tell me what that outputs.

 

[zhangy]

Outputs the same... "No date provided".

[Ken2k7]

--__--

 

What did var_dump output?

[zhangy]

Sorry, its frustrating to me too. Especially since I'm the one causing the problem. I made the change you told me but got the same unwanted result: "No date provided"

 

<?php
//...

sql = "SELECT * FROM $table ORDER BY sub_id";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or die("Error ". mysql_error(). " with query ". $sql);
if(mysql_num_rows($result) >= 1)
{

var_dump($row['date']);
$date = intval($row['date']);
$timeago = nicetime($date); // 2 days ago


echo '<div id="front_page_post_container">';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{

 

 

[Ken2k7]

Once again, does var_dump line output anything?

[zhangy]

It outputs things like the following: string(10) "1243786157"