date_create_from_format is used to parse time strings in non-standard format to generate DateTime objects. When you get a non-ISO8601 standard time string such as "25/12/2024 15:30" or "December 25, 2024", you can use this function to specify the format to parse. The usage method is DateTime::createFromFormat('format', 'time string'), for example, match "25/12/2024 14:30" with 'd/m/YH:i'. Common format characters include d (date), m (month), Y (year), H (hour), i (minute), etc. If the format does not match the string, the function may return false, so you need to check the return value to avoid errors.
Let’s talk about the key point directly: Use the PHP function date_create_from_format to parse time strings according to the specified format and generate a DateTime object. This function is very practical when dealing with non-standard time formats.
When will date_create_from_format be used?
When the time string you get is not a standard format (for example, it is not an ISO8601 or RFC format), and you want to convert it into a DateTime object for subsequent operations, date_create_from_format comes in handy.
For example, when you receive a form submission time is "25/12/2024 15:30" , or "2024年12月25日" , the default strtotime of PHP may be inaccurate in parsing. At this time, you can use this function to manually specify the format to create a time object.
How to use this function? Basic syntax
Function prototype:
DateTime::createFromFormat(string $format, string $datetime, DateTimeZone $timezone = null): DateTime|false
Or use process writing:
date_create_from_format(string $format, string $datetime, ?DateTimeZone $timezone = null): DateTime|false
To give a simple example:
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('d/m/YH:i', '25/12/2024 14:30'); echo $date->format('Ymd H:i'); // Output 2024-12-25 14:30
Here 'd/m/YH:i' is the format of your input time, which must be strictly corresponding to the following string.
How to write common formats? Description of several commonly used placeholders
Here are some commonly used format characters descriptions:
-
d: date, double digits (01 to 31) -
m: month, double digits (01 to 12) -
Y: Four-digit year -
H: hours (24-hour system) -
i: minutes -
s: seconds -
A/a: AM/PM (upper case or lower case)
Let's give an example in Chinese format:
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y year m month d day', 'December 25, 2024'); echo $date->format('Ym-d'); // Output 2024-12-25
Note: If the format and the actual string passed in are inconsistent, the function may return false.
Where errors are prone to use
- If the format is written incorrectly , such as writing
Yasy(two-digit year), it may lead to parsing errors. - Ignore spaces or separators , such as
-and:in the middle of'dmY H:i'to match the string exactly. - The return value is not checked whether it is false . If the parsing fails, it will cause an error.
Suggestions plus judgment:
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('d/m/Y', '30/02/2024');
if ($date) {
echo $date->format('Ym-d');
} else {
echo 'parsing failed';
}Basically all this is it. This function is not complicated to use, but it is very important to write the format correctly.
The above is the detailed content of php date create from format example. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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