Keeping a date static

Radon3k

If someone posts something and it's displayed for everyone to see including the date, how do I make it to where the date that is shown is the date that it was posted on. As it is now it shows today's date instead of the date it was posted on. How do I fix this? I know what I did wrong, I used the date() function, is there another function that I can use to make that date static? Is this making sense? Thanks. 🙂

leatherback

Hi Radon3k,

What system are you using? mysql dbase? Do you have a field to store the date in? Then you should be able to place the date in the database when storing all the other info, and retrieve that date again when you are displaying the data to other users.

Please explain how you have this organized..

keith73

Originally posted by Radon3k
If someone posts something and it's displayed for everyone to see including the date, how do I make it to where the date that is shown is the date that it was posted on. As it is now it shows today's date instead of the date it was posted on. How do I fix this? I know what I did wrong, I used the date() function, is there another function that I can use to make that date static? Is this making sense? Thanks. 🙂

we need to see some code in order to better assist you.

So what you're saying is, someone posts a message, the message is saved and the date is saved, yet when displaying the message, today's date is shown instead of the posted date.

show some code so we know what you're doing when you save it, and when you display it.

keith

weekender

if it is a mysql database, there is a 'feature' (ahem) with date fields in that the first date field in each row will be updated with NOW each time any part of the row is modified. I'm not entirely sure which types of date etc are affected, you will have to look in the mysql help files.

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Radon3k

Can you store the date using the date() function and still have it recall it from the database as the date it was posted on?

bobthedog

Originally posted by weekender
if it is a mysql database, there is a 'feature' (ahem) with date fields in that the first date field in each row will be updated with NOW each time any part of the row is modified. I'm not entirely sure which types of date etc are affected, you will have to look in the mysql help files.

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I thought this just related to TIMESTAMP fields and not DATE or DATETIME fields as such

seby

Originally posted by Radon3k
Can you store the date using the date() function and still have it recall it from the database as the date it was posted on?

you can .. most php coders use time(); when inserting into mysql, many benefits, then you can retrieve the time and format the date as you wish..

example, to insert into mysql:

@mysql_query("INSERT into table (time) VALUES ('".time()."')");

then, you can fetch it and format it with date() function.

keith73

the mysql column types for date fields are
date
datetime
timestamp
time
year

http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Date_and_time_types.html

timestamp is the one that will change automatically every time you do an update on the row. That isn't what you want for static dates.

if you just want the date, use a date field, if you just want the time, use a time field, or get both with datetime.

create an int column and store an epoch timestamp in it using time()

When setting a datetime field, on the Insert command, do this:

$query = "INSERT INTO tablename SET datefield = NOW()";

for an int field use this:

$query = "INSERT INTO tablename SET datefield = " . time();

when retrieving the value of an int field, you can send it to date() or strftime();

$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
print date("m-d-Y H:M",$row['datefield']);
// OR
print strftime("%m-%d-%Y %H:%M",$row['datefield']);

if you have a datetime field, you can just display it as it is set in mysql in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format.
To reformat it, pass it through strtotime(), then to strftime() or date()

links:
http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Date_and_time_types.html
http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.datetime.php

keith