Comparing dates of an array in PHP

Question

I’m trying to compare the dates that come from a database array to be able to organize them within a timeline. The problem is that I can’t compare the dates to know where to place each entry...

Maybe the problem is that within the array the dates are in date format, but if so, how to compare?

Follows the code:

<tbody>
    <tr>
        <td><center>Manhã</center></td>
                <?php 
                    foreach($periodo as $data){
                        while ($arrayBancas = mysql_fetch_array($oBanca->retorno())){
                            if ($arrayBancas['data'] == $data->format("Y-m-d")){
                                echo '<td>teste</td>';
                            }
                        }
                    }
                ?> 
     </tr>

Content of variables:

(Period)

if(!isset($_SESSION)) {session_start();} 

$idSemestre = $_SESSION['SemestreGeral'];

$oSemestre = new semestresclass();
$oSemestre -> listarEdicao($idSemestre);  

$array = mysql_fetch_array($oSemestre->retorno());

$start_date = $array['DataDeInicio'];
$end_date = $array['DataDeTermino'];

$inicio = new DateTime($start_date);
$fim = new DateTime($end_date);
$fim->modify('+1 day');

$interval = new DateInterval('P1D');
$periodo = new DatePeriod($inicio, $interval ,$fim);

(Array of Benches)

if(!isset($_SESSION)) {session_start();}  

$idSemestre = $_SESSION['SemestreGeral'];

$oBanca = new bancasclass();
$oBanca -> listar ($idSemestre);   

$arrayBancas = mysql_fetch_array($oBanca->retorno())

Follows the var_export value of the variables:

arrayBancas: array ( 0 => '1', 'idB' => '1', 1 => NULL, 'data' => NULL, 2 => NULL, 'time' => NULL, 3 => '316', 'room' => '316', )

date: Datetime::__set_state(array( 'date' => '2014-06-10 00:00:00', 'timezone_type' => 3, 'Timezone' => 'GMT', ))

Answer 1

With the recent issues you have two problems:

1. Your query is not returning what is expected
2. You’re comparing strings hoping to get notions of time

The first problem only you can solve because it would run too far from the topic’s scope (but that doesn’t stop you from creating another one if you have difficulties).

The second problem is very simple to solve, but requires you to fix your structure in the database.

For output of $arrayBancas You appear to have a DATETIME field but don’t have the time. Either you fix the way you input the data, so the time comes or you change the field type.

Datetime objects are comparable to conventional operators (<, >, == and !=) so once fixed the previous problem, just create a Datetime object with the left operand and make the comparison:

if( DateTime::createFromFormat( 'Y-m-d', $arrayBancas['data'] ) -> format( 'Y-m-d' ) == $data -> format( 'Y-m-d' ) ) {
    echo '<td>teste</td>';
}

If you choose to fix the way you enter the data and start having the hours you change the format of Y-m-d for Y-m-d H:i:s.

Remembering that the method Datetme::createFromFormat() was introduced in PHP 5.3.