date_create_from_format is breaking on my server and I DON'T KNOW WHY!

[skeletonjames]

I recently uploaded my client's site onto a temporary server so that they could get started on data input while I fine tune the design.

When I launched it however, one of my sliders and one of my pages broke down completely [note: this only occurs on the server side; my localhost site continues to work perfectly].

I narrowed it down to my use of the date_create_from_format() function as I use it on both pages, and when I remove the element holding that bit of php, the site works fine. I have scoured my file for any missing semi-colons, or brackets, and I can't find any glaring errors. Here is my code as it was orginally on my localhost.

<?php 
  $end = date_create_from_format('Ymd',$ending_date);
  $start = date_create_from_format('Ymd',$starting_date);
  echo "<span class='month'>" . $start->format('F') . "</span>";
  echo " ";
  echo "<span class='day'>" . $start->format('j') . "</span>";
  echo ", ";
  echo "<span class='year'>" . $start->format('Y') . "</span>";

  echo " - ";

  echo "<span class='month'>" . $end->format('F') . "</span>";
  echo " ";
  echo "<span class='day'>" . $end->format('d') . "</span>";
  echo ", ";
  echo "<span class='year'>" . $end->format('Y') . "</span>";
  echo ", $location";
 ?> 

I have also tried converting it from the object to the procedural function (See below) but the result is the exact same.

 

<?php 
  $end = DateTime::createFromFormat('Ymd', $ending_date);
  $start = DateTime::createFromFormat('Ymd', $starting_date);
 ?>
 <?php
  echo "<span class='month'>" . date_format($start,'F') . "</span>";
  echo " ";
  echo "<span class='day'>" . date_format($start,'j') . "</span>";
  echo ", ";
  echo "<span class='year'>" . date_format($start,'Y') . "</span>";

  echo " - ";

  echo "<span class='month'>" . date_format($end,'F') . "</span>";
  echo " ";
  echo "<span class='day'>" . date_format($end,'d') . "</span>";
  echo ", ";
  echo "<span class='year'>" . date_format($end,'Y') . "</span>";
  echo ", $location";
 ?> 

Someone on stackoverflow pointed out that there might be an issue regarding timezone being unidentified, so i made the following modification but the problem persisted.

 <?php 
  $end = DateTime::createFromFormat('Ymd', $ending_date, new DateTimeZone('America/Toronto'));
  $start = DateTime::createFromFormat('Ymd', $starting_date, new DateTimeZone('America/Toronto'));
 ?>

Really at a loss here and the deadline is looming. Anyone have any ideas?

[Jacques1]

You'll need to be more specific than “the code breaks”. What is the exact error message? If there is none on the screen, check the PHP error log (wherever that is on your server).

 

Also check the inputs:

var_dump($ending_date, $starting_date);

Are those even valid?

[Strider64]

Also the standard date format for MySQL is Y-m-d H:i:s not Ymd.  That could be part of your problem? 

Edited January 7, 2017 by Strider64

[maxxd]

What version of PHP is the staging server using? date_create_from_format() [DateTime::createFromFormat()] was introduced in 5.3.0 according to the docs.

[requinix]

Also the standard date format for MySQL is Y-m-d H:i:s not Ymd.

Y-m-d is the normal format, but MySQL understands Ymd too. But I don't think MySQL is involved here.