My loop will not work with PHP (DateTime conversion) - php

Question

Hello :) I have been trying to work on this piece of PHP script, to select all of the DateTime rows that meet certain criteria, then to calculate the time difference from then to current time.
My PHP script just echos "44 years ago." When I have more then one record in the database, and the echo is totally wrong, I do not have a record in the database that old.
I do know that I can echo the appropriate datetimes inside the selection loop, the select criteria does work.
Some help is appreciated. :)
My PHP code is below:
<?php
//AJAX REQUEST
$Following_ID = $_GET['Following_ID'];
//connection infi
$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","root","PASS","TABLE");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno())
{
echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
}
//SQL to select all fields from appointment table
$result = mysqli_query($con,"SELECT * FROM Followers
WHERE Following_ID='$Following_ID' AND Follow_Status='acce' AND Followers_Requested_Game NOT LIKE '%$Following_ID%' AND (Follower_Game='truth' OR Follower_Game='rate') ORDER BY Game_Time DESC");
//echo all in array
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result))
{
$time = $row['Game_Time'];
humanTiming ($time);
echo 'event happened '.humanTiming($time).' ago';
}
function humanTiming ($time)
{
$time = time() - $time; // to get the time since that moment
$tokens = array (
31536000 => 'year',
2592000 => 'month',
604800 => 'week',
86400 => 'day',
3600 => 'hour',
60 => 'minute',
1 => 'second'
);
foreach ($tokens as $unit => $text) {
if ($time < $unit) continue;
$numberOfUnits = floor($time / $unit);
return $numberOfUnits.' '.$text.(($numberOfUnits>1)?'s':'');
}
}
}
//close connection
mysqli_close($con);
?>
I have the solution here:
<?php
//AJAX REQUEST
$Following_ID = $_GET['Following_ID'];
//connection infi
$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","root","PASS","TABLE");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno())
{
echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
}
//SQL to select all fields from appointment table
$result = mysqli_query($con,"SELECT * FROM Followers
WHERE Following_ID='$Following_ID' AND Follow_Status='acce' AND Followers_Requested_Game NOT LIKE '%$Following_ID%' AND (Follower_Game='truth' OR Follower_Game='rate') ORDER BY Game_Time DESC");
//echo all in array
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result))
{
$times = $row['Game_Time'];
$time = strtotime($times);
humanTiming ($time);
echo 'event happened '.humanTiming($time).' ago';
}
function humanTiming ($time)
{
$time = time() - $time; // to get the time since that moment
$tokens = array (
31536000 => 'year',
2592000 => 'month',
604800 => 'week',
86400 => 'day',
3600 => 'hour',
60 => 'minute',
1 => 'second'
);
foreach ($tokens as $unit => $text) {
if ($time < $unit) continue;
$numberOfUnits = floor($time / $unit);
return $numberOfUnits.' '.$text.(($numberOfUnits>1)?'s':'');
}
}
//close connection
mysqli_close($con);
?>

Answer 1

I can't comment as I don't yet have 50 rep so I'll have to do that here but it seems that #Marc B is right when he said:
($time) correponds to your date being Jan 1/1970
Whenever I'm trying to do something with a date and it pulls through that date (1st Jan 1970) I know that I'm not matching up the formats of time. So I'm advising 3 things:
1) Bug test - eliminating all possibilities
Output $time from this segment of your code: $time = $row['Game_Time'];
Check that this is coming out as a unix timestamp (currently 1392430174 as I write)
As time() is in unix timestamp format this will mean that you are deducting correctly and the line $time = time() - $time; will also be in unix timestamp format.
2) The probable
If I had to take a guess I would say that $time or $row['Game_Time'] is not in unix timestamp format which means you should convert it using strtotime($time) and then do the calculation ($time = time() - $time; // to get the time since that moment). Test the output of this. With coding one thing is for absolute certain - you will get bugs. So you have to work on the system of deducing the answer based on a series of logical tests. It really is like trapping a bug with a glass!
3) A few tips
I would do yourself a favour and avoid potential problems with variable names. Why not call this line:
$time = time() - $time; // to get the time since that moment
like this:
$time_difference = time() - $time; // to get the time since that moment
.. or whatever as I have previously had problems in redefining a string as part of itself like this - particularly when passing parameters.
Also wouldn't the $tokens array be more standardised switching the seconds to the value and the time name, e.g. "year" to the key. And maybe use something easier to read so there are no mistakes with the numbers, e.g.
$tokens = array();
$tokens['second'] = 1;
$tokens['minute'] = 60*$second;
$tokens['hour'] = 60*$minute;
$tokens['day'] = 24*$hour;
$tokens['week'] = 7*$day;
$tokens['month'] = 30*$day;
$tokens['year'] = 365*$day;
Just suggestions but the main thing is that if it is just you working with it you can find yourself around, etc. Oh and get anything in the open in a function - just call it from the outside. All good stuff though!_