Text Date to Timestamp (strtotime() Ain't Workin)

[l008com]

I have a long text file database for a small script current written in perl. I want to convert the whole deal to php/mysql, but I have to write a script first to parse the current database into the database server. The problem is the date is in a plain text format of

Friday, January 24, 2003 17:01:01 PM

I tried strtotime many time, modifying my date just to see how much work it would be to get it to work. Nothing I tried worked at all. Is there a way to get this time into a timestamp? If not, I suppose i could just continue to use this text format in the new database as the time, but i'd rather do it the proper way.

[LordShryku]

Well, I think you'll have to get it into a format strtotime will recognize.
A couple things can go away:
The day of week(eg. Friday)
and the AM/PM(Why is that there anyway when you're using military format?)

Anyway, I tried this:

<?php
function rTime($date) {
   $exp = explode(",",$date); /* split by comma */

   /* Lets deal with the month and day
    * First build an array of months 
    */
   $months = array(date("m") => date("F"));
   for($i=0;$i<12;$i++) {
      $months[date("m",strtotime("+".$i." months"))] = date("F",strtotime("+".$i." months"));
   }
   $spl   = explode(" ",trim($exp[1])); /* Split month and day by space */
   $month = array_search($spl[0],$months);
   $day   = $spl[1];

   /* Now lets grab the year and time */
   $sp   = explode(" ",trim($exp[2])); /* Split year and time by space */
   $year = $sp[0];

   /* Okay, so now we have a date that strtotime can parse */
   $time = strtotime($year."-".$month."-".$day);

   /* Now lets add the time to that */
   $t     = explode(":",$sp[1]); /* Split up hours, minutes, seconds */
   $time += $t[2]; /* Add seconds */
   $time += ($t[1] * 60); /* Add minutes */
   $time += ($t[0] * 3600); /* Add hours */

   /* All done! Return the timestamp */
   return $time;
}

/* Test, using your example */
$date = "Friday, January 24, 2003 17:01:01 PM";
$time = rTime($date);
echo $time;
/* Convert it back, just to make sure */
echo "<br />".date("m-d-Y H:i:s",$time);
?>

There's probably easier ways, but hell, I'm bored 😃

[l008com]

I tried that, and it seems to work sometimes, but not always.

Friday, August 30, 2002 00:50:51 AM 1030683051
Friday, August 30, 2002 02:27:46 AM 1030688866
Thursday, September 12, 2002 03:41:05 AM 1031816465
Saturday, September 28, 2002 23:17:03 PM 1033269423
Saturday, September 28, 2002 23:24:03 PM 1033269843
Sunday, September 29, 2002 22:02:57 PM 1033351377
Friday, October 4, 2002 22:17:08 PM 80227
Wednesday, October 16, 2002 12:50:04 PM 1034787004
Friday, October 18, 2002 20:25:05 PM 1034987105
Friday, October 18, 2002 21:34:10 PM 1034991250
Monday, October 28, 2002 00:08:31 AM 1035781711
Saturday, November 2, 2002 16:09:31 PM 58170
Thursday, November 7, 2002 08:15:19 AM 29718
Friday, November 15, 2002 23:37:55 PM 1037421475
Saturday, November 23, 2002 12:15:45 PM 1038071745
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 11:18:18 AM 1038413898
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 11:29:08 AM 1038414548
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 11:29:14 AM 1038414554
Thursday, November 28, 2002 00:56:21 AM 1038462981
Thursday, November 28, 2002 00:59:35 AM 1038463175
Saturday, November 30, 2002 11:24:19 AM 1038673459
Saturday, January 18, 2003 16:26:28 PM 1042925188
Friday, January 24, 2003 17:01:01 PM 1043445661
Thursday, January 30, 2003 15:28:32 PM 1043958512
Thursday, February 13, 2003 15:16:27 PM 1045167387
Thursday, February 13, 2003 18:22:46 PM 1045178566
Tuesday, February 25, 2003 18:15:54 PM 1046214954
Wednesday, February 26, 2003 18:44:48 PM 1046303088
Friday, February 28, 2003 13:13:51 PM 1046456031
Saturday, March 1, 2003 16:46:27 PM 60386
Tuesday, March 4, 2003 21:10:13 PM 76212
Thursday, March 13, 2003 19:43:59 PM 1047602639
Thursday, March 20, 2003 17:00:56 PM 1048197656
Friday, March 21, 2003 22:18:04 PM 1048303084
Wednesday, March 26, 2003 13:07:06 PM 1048702026
Wednesday, March 26, 2003 16:56:40 PM 1048715800
Monday, March 31, 2003 18:27:29 PM 1049153249
Friday, April 4, 2003 17:29:42 PM 62981
Monday, April 7, 2003 20:13:10 PM 72789
Monday, June 2, 2003 01:48:50 AM 6529
Wednesday, June 4, 2003 09:31:44 AM 34303
Wednesday, June 4, 2003 19:56:28 PM 71787
Sunday, June 8, 2003 00:42:17 AM 2536
Tuesday, June 10, 2003 19:46:22 PM 1055288782
Wednesday, June 11, 2003 23:16:10 PM 1055387770
Sunday, June 22, 2003 14:25:48 PM 1056306348
Monday, June 23, 2003 00:19:19 AM 1056341959
Wednesday, June 25, 2003 12:47:32 PM 1056559652
Tuesday, July 1, 2003 22:23:09 PM 80588
Friday, July 18, 2003 09:04:39 AM 1058533479
Wednesday, July 23, 2003 14:47:41 PM 1058986061
Saturday, July 26, 2003 01:47:39 AM 1059198459
Thursday, July 31, 2003 20:25:02 PM 1059697502
Friday, August 1, 2003 01:33:38 AM 5617
Tuesday, August 5, 2003 00:59:15 AM 3554
Tuesday, August 5, 2003 01:15:07 AM 4506
Sunday, August 10, 2003 20:46:24 PM 1060562784
Sunday, August 10, 2003 23:04:34 PM 1060571074
Tuesday, August 12, 2003 15:26:04 PM 1060716364
Tuesday, August 12, 2003 15:26:23 PM 1060716383
Saturday, August 16, 2003 09:45:07 AM 1061041507
Saturday, August 16, 2003 09:46:47 AM 1061041607
Sunday, August 17, 2003 13:09:12 PM 1061140152
Sunday, August 17, 2003 13:09:13 PM 1061140153
Monday, August 18, 2003 07:59:40 AM 1061207980
Thursday, August 21, 2003 00:25:17 AM 1061439917
Friday, August 22, 2003 15:22:00 PM 1061580120
Sunday, August 24, 2003 16:15:14 PM 1061756114
Sunday, August 24, 2003 16:35:56 PM 1061757356
Sunday, August 24, 2003 17:19:52 PM 1061759992
Saturday, August 30, 2003 16:34:30 PM 1062275670
Friday, September 12, 2003 23:54:20 PM 1063425260
Tuesday, September 16, 2003 01:41:22 AM 1063690882
Sunday, September 21, 2003 10:24:46 AM 1064154286
Sunday, September 21, 2003 10:25:18 AM 1064154318
Monday, September 29, 2003 21:51:33 PM 1064886693
Tuesday, October 7, 2003 01:48:40 AM 6519
Friday, October 10, 2003 11:14:51 AM 1065798891
Saturday, October 11, 2003 19:57:34 PM 1065916654
Monday, October 27, 2003 00:58:10 AM 1067234290
Saturday, November 1, 2003 14:27:17 PM 52036
Saturday, November 8, 2003 16:15:24 PM 58523
Tuesday, November 11, 2003 21:27:57 PM 1068604077
Sunday, November 23, 2003 03:17:47 AM 1069575467
Wednesday, November 26, 2003 00:02:45 AM 1069822965
Sunday, November 30, 2003 22:49:02 PM 1070250542
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 21:42:48 PM 78167
Sunday, December 7, 2003 20:56:32 PM 75391
Sunday, December 7, 2003 22:48:53 PM 82132
Wednesday, December 10, 2003 08:35:56 AM 1071063356
Wednesday, December 10, 2003 23:26:23 PM 1071116783
Sunday, December 14, 2003 14:10:51 PM 1071429051
Sunday, December 14, 2003 17:54:18 PM 1071442458
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 17:25:37 PM 1071699937
Saturday, December 20, 2003 15:21:14 PM 1071951674
Tuesday, December 30, 2003 18:56:22 PM 1072828582
Monday, February 9, 2004 22:33:51 PM 81230
Thursday, February 12, 2004 16:09:41 PM 1076620181
Thursday, February 12, 2004 16:37:45 PM 1076621865
Friday, February 13, 2004 14:54:31 PM 1076702071
Friday, February 13, 2004 14:59:12 PM 1076702352
Friday, February 13, 2004 18:47:28 PM 1076716048
Tuesday, February 17, 2004 23:30:26 PM 1077078626
Tuesday, February 17, 2004 23:31:01 PM 1077078661
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 10:03:44 AM 1077116624
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 14:10:22 PM 1077131422
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 15:31:21 PM 1077136281
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 21:17:12 PM 1077157032
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 21:17:50 PM 1077157070
Thursday, February 19, 2004 10:29:30 AM 1077204570
Thursday, February 19, 2004 12:21:52 PM 1077211312
Thursday, February 19, 2004 20:52:04 PM 1077241924
Friday, February 20, 2004 00:06:08 AM 1077253568
Friday, February 20, 2004 10:57:59 AM 1077292679
Friday, February 20, 2004 22:00:39 PM 1077332439
Saturday, February 21, 2004 09:06:43 AM 1077372403
Saturday, February 21, 2004 16:02:29 PM 1077397349
Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:41:43 AM 1077464503
Sunday, February 22, 2004 15:44:46 PM 1077482686
Sunday, February 22, 2004 19:55:08 PM 1077497708

[LordShryku]

Because you're not using leading zeros on your days. Try changing this line:

$day   = $spl[1];
// to
$day   = (strlen($spl[1]) == 1)?"0".$spl[1]:$spl[1];

[l008com]

nope no change

[l008com]

but i can probably go through and add leading 0's if i need to really

[LordShryku]

Worked for me, using
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 21:42:48 PM
Output was 1070430168

The leading zero's are the only problem I see, and that should have fixed them. Anyway, you're in the right direction now. You should be able to finish it from here.

[l008com]

I added the zeros, but it STILL doesn't work!? Now i'm getting confused.

[l008com]

Originally posted by LordShryku
Worked for me, using
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 21:42:48 PM
Output was 1070430168

The leading zero's are the only problem I see, and that should have fixed them. Anyway, you're in the right direction now. You should be able to finish it from here.

Tuesday, December 02, 2003 21:42:48 PM
78167
Thursday, January 1st, 1970 4:42:47 PM

Not for me :-(

[Weedpacket]

I had no trouble once I trimmed off the 'AM/PM' part. strtotime()'s is probably getting confused about what "21:42:48 PM" is supposed to mean.

[l008com]

Originally posted by Weedpacket
I had no trouble once I trimmed off the 'AM/PM' part. strtotime()'s is probably getting confused about what "21:42:48 PM" is supposed to mean.

Good call