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+###########
+Date Helper
+###########
+
+The Date Helper file contains functions that help you work with dates.
+
+.. contents:: Page Contents
+
+Loading this Helper
+===================
+
+This helper is loaded using the following code
+
+::
+
+ $this->load->helper('date');
+
+The following functions are available:
+
+now()
+=====
+
+Returns the current time as a Unix timestamp, referenced either to your
+server's local time or any PHP suported timezone, based on the "time reference"
+setting in your config file. If you do not intend to set your master time reference
+to any other PHP suported timezone (which you'll typically do if you run a site that
+lets each user set their own timezone settings) there is no benefit to using this
+function over PHP's time() function.
+
+.. php:method:: now($timezone = NULL)
+
+ :param string $timezone: The timezone you want to be returned
+ :returns: integer
+
+::
+ echo now("Australia/Victoria");
+
+If a timezone is not provided, it will return time() based on "time_reference" setting.
+
+mdate()
+=======
+
+This function is identical to PHP's `date() <http://www.php.net/date>`_
+function, except that it lets you use MySQL style date codes, where each
+code letter is preceded with a percent sign: %Y %m %d etc.
+
+The benefit of doing dates this way is that you don't have to worry
+about escaping any characters that are not date codes, as you would
+normally have to do with the date() function. Example
+
+.. php:method:: mdate($datestr = '', $time = '')
+
+ :param string $datestr: Date String
+ :param integer $time: time
+ :returns: integer
+
+
+::
+
+ $datestring = "Year: %Y Month: %m Day: %d - %h:%i %a";
+ $time = time();
+ echo mdate($datestring, $time);
+
+If a timestamp is not included in the second parameter the current time
+will be used.
+
+standard_date()
+===============
+
+Lets you generate a date string in one of several standardized formats.
+Example
+
+.. php:method:: standard_date($fmt = 'DATE_RFC822', $time = '')
+
+ :param string $fmt: the chosen format
+ :param string $time: Unix timestamp
+ :returns: string
+
+::
+
+ $format = 'DATE_RFC822';
+ $time = time();
+ echo standard_date($format, $time);
+
+The first parameter must contain the format, the second parameter must
+contain the date as a Unix timestamp.
+
+.. note:: This function is DEPRECATED. Use the native ``date()`` combined
+ with `DateTime's format constants <http://www.php.net/manual/en/class.datetime.php#datetime.constants.types>`_
+ instead:
+
+ |
+ | echo date(DATE_RFC822, time());
+
+Supported formats:
+
+=============== ======================= ======================================
+Constant Description Example
+=============== ======================= ======================================
+DATE_ATOM Atom 2005-08-15T16:13:03+0000
+DATE_COOKIE HTTP Cookies Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_ISO8601 ISO-8601 2005-08-14T16:13:03+00:00
+DATE_RFC822 RFC 822 Sun, 14 Aug 05 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_RFC850 RFC 850 Sunday, 14-Aug-05 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_RFC1036 RFC 1036 Sunday, 14-Aug-05 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_RFC1123 RFC 1123 Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_RFC2822 RFC 2822 Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:13:03 +0000
+DATE_RSS RSS Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:13:03 UTC
+DATE_W3C W3C 2005-08-14T16:13:03+0000
+=============== ======================= ======================================
+
+local_to_gmt()
+==============
+
+Takes a Unix timestamp as input and returns it as GMT.
+
+.. php:method:: local_to_gmt($time = '')
+
+ :param integer $time: Unix timestamp
+ :returns: string
+
+Example:
+
+::
+
+ $now = time();
+ $gmt = local_to_gmt($now);
+
+gmt_to_local()
+==============
+
+Takes a Unix timestamp (referenced to GMT) as input, and converts it to
+a localized timestamp based on the timezone and Daylight Saving time
+submitted.
+
+.. php:method:: gmt_to_local($time = '', $timezone = 'UTC', $dst = FALSE)
+
+ :param integer $time: Unix timestamp
+ :param string $timezone: timezone
+ :param boolean $dst: whether DST is active
+ :returns: integer
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ $timestamp = '1140153693';
+ $timezone = 'UM8';
+ $daylight_saving = TRUE;
+ echo gmt_to_local($timestamp, $timezone, $daylight_saving);
+
+
+.. note:: For a list of timezones see the reference at the bottom of this page.
+
+
+mysql_to_unix()
+===============
+
+Takes a MySQL Timestamp as input and returns it as Unix.
+
+.. php:method:: mysql_to_unix($time = '')
+
+ :param integer $time: Unix timestamp
+ :returns: integer
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ $mysql = '20061124092345';
+ $unix = mysql_to_unix($mysql);
+
+unix_to_human()
+===============
+
+Takes a Unix timestamp as input and returns it in a human readable
+format with this prototype
+
+.. php:method:: unix_to_human($time = '', $seconds = FALSE, $fmt = 'us')
+
+ :param integer $time: Unix timestamp
+ :param boolean $seconds: whether to show seconds
+ :param string $fmt: format: us or euro
+ :returns: integer
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS AM/PM
+
+This can be useful if you need to display a date in a form field for
+submission.
+
+The time can be formatted with or without seconds, and it can be set to
+European or US format. If only the timestamp is submitted it will return
+the time without seconds formatted for the U.S. Examples
+
+::
+
+ $now = time();
+ echo unix_to_human($now); // U.S. time, no seconds
+ echo unix_to_human($now, TRUE, 'us'); // U.S. time with seconds
+ echo unix_to_human($now, TRUE, 'eu'); // Euro time with seconds
+
+human_to_unix()
+===============
+
+The opposite of the above function. Takes a "human" time as input and
+returns it as Unix. This function is useful if you accept "human"
+formatted dates submitted via a form. Returns FALSE (boolean) if the
+date string passed to it is not formatted as indicated above.
+
+.. php:method:: human_to_unix($datestr = '')
+
+ :param integer $datestr: Date String
+ :returns: integer
+
+Example:
+
+::
+
+ $now = time();
+ $human = unix_to_human($now);
+ $unix = human_to_unix($human);
+
+nice_date()
+===========
+
+This function can take a number poorly-formed date formats and convert
+them into something useful. It also accepts well-formed dates.
+
+The function will return a Unix timestamp by default. You can,
+optionally, pass a format string (the same type as the PHP date function
+accepts) as the second parameter.
+
+.. php:method:: nice_date($bad_date = '', $format = FALSE)
+
+ :param integer $bad_date: The terribly formatted date-like string
+ :param string $format: Date format to return (same as php date function)
+ :returns: string
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ $bad_date = '199605';
+ // Should Produce: 1996-05-01
+ $better_date = nice_date($bad_date, 'Y-m-d');
+
+ $bad_date = '9-11-2001';
+ // Should Produce: 2001-09-11
+ $better_date = nice_date($bad_date, 'Y-m-d');
+
+timespan()
+==========
+
+Formats a unix timestamp so that is appears similar to this
+::
+
+ 1 Year, 10 Months, 2 Weeks, 5 Days, 10 Hours, 16 Minutes
+
+The first parameter must contain a Unix timestamp. The second parameter
+must contain a timestamp that is greater that the first timestamp. If
+the second parameter empty, the current time will be used. The third
+parameter is optional and limits the number of time units to display.
+The most common purpose for this function is to show how much time has
+elapsed from some point in time in the past to now.
+
+.. php:method:: timespan($seconds = 1, $time = '', $units = '')
+
+ :param integer $seconds: a number of seconds
+ :param string $time: Unix timestamp
+ :param integer $units: a number of time units to display
+ :returns: string
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ $post_date = '1079621429';
+ $now = time();
+ $units = 2;
+ echo timespan($post_date, $now, $units);
+
+.. note:: The text generated by this function is found in the following language
+ file: language/<your_lang>/date_lang.php
+
+days_in_month()
+===============
+
+Returns the number of days in a given month/year. Takes leap years into
+account.
+
+.. php:method:: days_in_month($month = 0, $year = '')
+
+ :param integer $month: a numeric month
+ :param integer $year: a numeric year
+ :returns: integer
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ echo days_in_month(06, 2005);
+
+If the second parameter is empty, the current year will be used.
+
+timezones()
+===========
+
+Takes a timezone reference (for a list of valid timezones, see the
+"Timezone Reference" below) and returns the number of hours offset from
+UTC.
+
+.. php:method:: timezones($tz = '')
+
+ :param string $tz: a numeric timezone
+ :returns: string
+
+Example
+
+::
+
+ echo timezones('UM5');
+
+
+This function is useful when used with `timezone_menu()`.
+
+timezone_menu()
+===============
+
+Generates a pull-down menu of timezones, like this one:
+
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+ <form action="#">
+ <select name="timezones">
+ <option value='UM12'>(UTC -12:00) Baker/Howland Island</option>
+ <option value='UM11'>(UTC -11:00) Samoa Time Zone, Niue</option>
+ <option value='UM10'>(UTC -10:00) Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, Cook Islands, Tahiti</option>
+ <option value='UM95'>(UTC -9:30) Marquesas Islands</option>
+ <option value='UM9'>(UTC -9:00) Alaska Standard Time, Gambier Islands</option>
+ <option value='UM8'>(UTC -8:00) Pacific Standard Time, Clipperton Island</option>
+ <option value='UM7'>(UTC -7:00) Mountain Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM6'>(UTC -6:00) Central Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM5'>(UTC -5:00) Eastern Standard Time, Western Caribbean Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM45'>(UTC -4:30) Venezuelan Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM4'>(UTC -4:00) Atlantic Standard Time, Eastern Caribbean Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM35'>(UTC -3:30) Newfoundland Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UM3'>(UTC -3:00) Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, Uruguay</option>
+ <option value='UM2'>(UTC -2:00) South Georgia/South Sandwich Islands</option>
+ <option value='UM1'>(UTC -1:00) Azores, Cape Verde Islands</option>
+ <option value='UTC' selected='selected'>(UTC) Greenwich Mean Time, Western European Time</option>
+ <option value='UP1'>(UTC +1:00) Central European Time, West Africa Time</option>
+ <option value='UP2'>(UTC +2:00) Central Africa Time, Eastern European Time, Kaliningrad Time</option>
+ <option value='UP3'>(UTC +3:00) Moscow Time, East Africa Time</option>
+ <option value='UP35'>(UTC +3:30) Iran Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UP4'>(UTC +4:00) Azerbaijan Standard Time, Samara Time</option>
+ <option value='UP45'>(UTC +4:30) Afghanistan</option>
+ <option value='UP5'>(UTC +5:00) Pakistan Standard Time, Yekaterinburg Time</option>
+ <option value='UP55'>(UTC +5:30) Indian Standard Time, Sri Lanka Time</option>
+ <option value='UP575'>(UTC +5:45) Nepal Time</option>
+ <option value='UP6'>(UTC +6:00) Bangladesh Standard Time, Bhutan Time, Omsk Time</option>
+ <option value='UP65'>(UTC +6:30) Cocos Islands, Myanmar</option>
+ <option value='UP7'>(UTC +7:00) Krasnoyarsk Time, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam</option>
+ <option value='UP8'>(UTC +8:00) Australian Western Standard Time, Beijing Time, Irkutsk Time</option>
+ <option value='UP875'>(UTC +8:45) Australian Central Western Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UP9'>(UTC +9:00) Japan Standard Time, Korea Standard Time, Yakutsk Time</option>
+ <option value='UP95'>(UTC +9:30) Australian Central Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UP10'>(UTC +10:00) Australian Eastern Standard Time, Vladivostok Time</option>
+ <option value='UP105'>(UTC +10:30) Lord Howe Island</option>
+ <option value='UP11'>(UTC +11:00) Magadan Time, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu</option>
+ <option value='UP115'>(UTC +11:30) Norfolk Island</option>
+ <option value='UP12'>(UTC +12:00) Fiji, Gilbert Islands, Kamchatka Time, New Zealand Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UP1275'>(UTC +12:45) Chatham Islands Standard Time</option>
+ <option value='UP13'>(UTC +13:00) Phoenix Islands Time, Tonga</option>
+ <option value='UP14'>(UTC +14:00) Line Islands</option>
+ </select>
+ </form>
+
+
+This menu is useful if you run a membership site in which your users are
+allowed to set their local timezone value.
+
+The first parameter lets you set the "selected" state of the menu. For
+example, to set Pacific time as the default you will do this
+
+.. php:method:: timezone_menu($default = 'UTC', $class = '', $name = 'timezones', $attributes = '')
+
+ :param string $default: timezone
+ :param string $class: classname
+ :param string $name: menu name
+ :param mixed $attributes: attributes
+ :returns: string
+
+Example:
+
+::
+
+ echo timezone_menu('UM8');
+
+Please see the timezone reference below to see the values of this menu.
+
+The second parameter lets you set a CSS class name for the menu.
+
+The fourth parameter lets you set one or more attributes on the generated select tag.
+
+.. note:: The text contained in the menu is found in the following
+ language file: `language/<your_lang>/date_lang.php`
+
+
+Timezone Reference
+==================
+
+The following table indicates each timezone and its location.
+
+Note some of the location lists have been abridged for clarity and formatting.
+
+=========== =====================================================================
+Time Zone Location
+=========== =====================================================================
+UM2 (UTC - 12:00) Baker/Howland Island
+UM1 (UTC - 11:00) Samoa Time Zone, Niue
+UM0 (UTC - 10:00) Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, Cook Islands
+UM95 (UTC - 09:30) Marquesas Islands
+UM9 (UTC - 09:00) Alaska Standard Time, Gambier Islands
+UM8 (UTC - 08:00) Pacific Standard Time, Clipperton Island
+UM7 (UTC - 11:00) Mountain Standard Time
+UM6 (UTC - 06:00) Central Standard Time
+UM5 (UTC - 05:00) Eastern Standard Time, Western Caribbean
+UM45 (UTC - 04:30) Venezuelan Standard Time
+UM4 (UTC - 04:00) Atlantic Standard Time, Eastern Caribbean
+UM35 (UTC - 03:30) Newfoundland Standard Time
+UM3 (UTC - 03:00) Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, Uruguay
+UM2 (UTC - 02:00) South Georgia/South Sandwich Islands
+UM (UTC -1:00) Azores, Cape Verde Islands
+UTC (UTC) Greenwich Mean Time, Western European Time
+UP1 (UTC +1:00) Central European Time, West Africa Time
+UP2 (UTC +2:00) Central Africa Time, Eastern European Time
+UP3 (UTC +3:00) Moscow Time, East Africa Time
+UP35 (UTC +3:30) Iran Standard Time
+UP4 (UTC +4:00) Azerbaijan Standard Time, Samara Time
+UP45 (UTC +4:30) Afghanistan
+UP5 (UTC +5:00) Pakistan Standard Time, Yekaterinburg Time
+UP55 (UTC +5:30) Indian Standard Time, Sri Lanka Time
+UP575 (UTC +5:45) Nepal Time
+UP6 (UTC +6:00) Bangladesh Standard Time, Bhutan Time, Omsk Time
+UP65 (UTC +6:30) Cocos Islands, Myanmar
+UP7 (UTC +7:00) Krasnoyarsk Time, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
+UP8 (UTC +8:00) Australian Western Standard Time, Beijing Time
+UP875 (UTC +8:45) Australian Central Western Standard Time
+UP9 (UTC +9:00) Japan Standard Time, Korea Standard Time, Yakutsk
+UP95 (UTC +9:30) Australian Central Standard Time
+UP10 (UTC +10:00) Australian Eastern Standard Time, Vladivostok Time
+UP105 (UTC +10:30) Lord Howe Island
+UP11 (UTC +11:00) Magadan Time, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
+UP115 (UTC +11:30) Norfolk Island
+UP12 (UTC +12:00) Fiji, Gilbert Islands, Kamchatka, New Zealand
+UP1275 (UTC +12:45) Chatham Islands Standard Time
+UP1 (UTC +13:00) Phoenix Islands Time, Tonga
+UP14 (UTC +14:00) Line Islands
+=========== ===================================================================== \ No newline at end of file