To convert a string to a date and format it using PHP, use the DateTime::createFromFormat() and format() methods. 1. Use DateTime::createFromFormat('Ym-d', '2024-12-25') to parse the string in the specified format; 2. Use $date->format('M j, Y') to output the new format date. Common formats such as '2024-12-25' correspond to 'Ym-d', '25/12/2024' correspond to 'd/m/Y', '2024-Dec-25' correspond to 'YMd', etc. If the string format is not standardized, you can first extract or modify the string using regularity, and then parse it. It is also recommended to judge with try...catch or false to avoid errors.
Sometimes it may seem a bit troublesome to format dates from strings, but in fact PHP provides a pretty intuitive way to handle it. The key is to understand two functions: DateTime::createFromFormat() and format() , one is responsible for parsing the original string, and the other is responsible for outputting the format you want.
How to convert a string to a date and format it in PHP
The most common way in PHP is to use DateTime::createFromFormat() method. This method can "read" the date in the string based on the original format you provide, and then use format() to output the format you need.
For example, if you have a string that is '2024-12-25' and you want to turn it into 'Dec 25, 2024' , you can write it like this:
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('Ym-d', '2024-12-25'); echo $date->format('M j, Y'); // Output Dec 25, 2024
It should be noted that the format of the string must strictly match the format you passed in, otherwise the parsing may fail or the wrong date may be obtained.
Common string formats and corresponding parsing methods
The date formats encountered in different projects can be diverse. Here are some common formats and their parsing methods:
-
'2024-12-25'→ Use'Ym-d' -
'25/12/2024'→ Use'd/m/Y' -
'20241225'→ Use'Ymd' -
'2024-Dec-25'→ Use'YM-d' -
'25 Dec 2024'→ Use'd M Y'
For example, if you get a string like '25/12/2024' and want to convert it to '2024年12月25日' , you can do this:
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('d/m/Y', '25/12/2024'); echo $date->format('Y year m month d day'); // Output December 25, 2024
As long as your input format and the format in the code are in line with each other, there will be basically no errors.
Small details that are easy to ignore
Sometimes, strings may contain some less standard time formats, such as:
- Non-standard characters are mixed in the middle of time (such as
'2024_year_12_month_25_day') - Month or date without leading zeros (such as
'2024-2-5')
At this time you have two choices:
- Reform the string to make it more standardized
- Use regular extraction of date part before parsing
In addition, if the original string format is not unified, it is recommended to make judgments first and then parse to avoid program errors. For example, you can wrap it with try...catch , or use false to determine whether the return value is successful.
Basically that's it. If you master createFromFormat() and format() well, most date conversion problems can be solved.
The above is the detailed content of php format date from string. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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