date to string

[asmith]

$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');

 

how can i store the result into a string ?

 

for example :

 

echo $a;

//do a lot of stuff

 

now if i again

echo $a  . this will output new time, 

what i want is the first time $a echoed value , or the first time php put date function value in $a

hard for me to explain , i hope you get what i mean .

i want to make date function value in a string that would be safe and fixed, so every time i echo the string i would have a fixed string, not an up-tp-date  changble date. 

(please note i don't want to store the date in mysql , the get it back from it ,i want to do it all in php)

[PHP_PhREEEk]

$a can only be updated by:

$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');

 

therefore, your script must be running this line multiple times. If it's only run once, $a will only contain one value. You will need to post more code for us to help you with some logic that will retain one value.

 

PhREEEk

[phpQuestioner]

create some session variables and store the $a variable in one of those sessions.

 

then check to see if the season has been set; if it has, then set $a to something other then a date and if the season has not been set, let variable $a remain as a date value.

 

try something like this:

 

<?php

start_session();

if (isset($_SESSION["lockeDate"] == "yes"))
{
$a =  $_SESSION["lockenDate"];
}
else {
$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');
$_SESSION["lockenDate"] == $a;
$_SESSION["lockeDate"] == "yes";
}

?>

[asmith]

both good answers,

 

$a can only be updated by:

$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');

 

therefore, your script must be running this line multiple times. If it's only run once, $a will only contain one value. You will need to post more code for us to help you with some logic that will retain one value.

 

PhREEEk

 

 

so the out put of this :

 

$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');

//do a lot stuff that takes 5 minutes 

echo $a

 

the output of a$ is the 5 minutes earlier ?

 

 

create some session variables and store the $a variable in one of those sessions.

 

then check to see if the season has been set; if it has, then set $a to something other then a date and if the season has not been set, let variable $a remain as a date value.

 

 

yea, session looks will work fine .

[PHP_PhREEEk]

As long as $a is not re-defined, then yes, it retains the value from the first definition.

 

PhREEEk

[jumpfroggy]

so the out put of this :

$a = date('Y-m-d.H-i-s');
//do a lot stuff that takes 5 minutes 
echo $a

the output of a$ is the 5 minutes earlier ?

 

Yes, if you set $a to the date, then it'll be that date till the end of the page or $a is reassigned.

$a = date(...); // $a is now "2007-12-01.01-59-01"
// Do stuff that takes 2 days
print $a; // will print "2007-12-01.01-59-01"

[asmith]

yep ! solved !

but i think i'm completely mixed up !!!

each user run the script for hisself , right ?

if 3 users run this script the same time ... ahh stupid question ! i'm just mixed up ! lol

[phpQuestioner]

I kind screwed-up on my script there a little bit asmith - sorry about that - I didn't test it before I posted it.

 

here's what it should have been:

 

<?php
session_start();

$a = date("Y-m-d.H-i-s");

if ($_SESSION['lockeDate'] == 'yes')
{
$a = $_SESSION['lockenDate'];
}
else {
$_SESSION['lockenDate'] = $a;
$_SESSION['lockeDate'] = yes; 
}
?>