Registry / productivity / php-date-formatter

php-date-formatter

library1.3.7jsnpmunverified

A standalone JavaScript library for formatting and parsing dates using PHP-style date/time format strings. The latest stable version is 1.3.7 (released April 2016, last updated April 2018). It provides a DateFormatter class with methods like formatDate and guessDate, converting between Date objects and PHP format strings. Unlike moment.js or Luxon, it uses PHP date format specifiers, making it ideal for projects where PHP and JavaScript must share consistent date formats. It has no external dependencies and works in browsers and Node.js. Release cadence is low; the library is in maintenance mode.

productivity

npm install php-date-formatter

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INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PHP-DATE-FORMATTER

php-date-formatter

productivityjavascriptv1.3.7

harness data pending

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

No compatibility data collected yet for this library.

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

DateFormatter

✓ var formatter = new DateFormatter();

✗ import { DateFormatter } from 'php-date-formatter';

The library exports a global DateFormatter constructor. In Node.js, use require('php-date-formatter') or assign to a variable. There is no ES module export.

formatDate

✓ formatter.formatDate(date, format);

✗ DateFormatter.formatDate(date, format);

formatDate is a prototype method, not static. You must instantiate DateFormatter first.

guessDate

✓ formatter.guessDate(dateStr, format, lang);

✗ formatter.guessDate(dateStr, format); // missing lang leads to undefined behavior

The third parameter 'lang' is optional but recommended for locale-specific date strings. Defaults to 'en'.

Demonstrates usage of DateFormatter to format a JavaScript Date object and parse a date string using PHP date formats.

// Load the library (assumes in browser via script tag) var formatter = new DateFormatter(); // Format a date var now = new Date(); var formatted = formatter.formatDate(now, 'Y-m-d H:i:s'); console.log(formatted); // e.g., '2025-04-03 14:30:00' // Parse a date string var dateStr = '03/04/2025'; var format = 'd/m/Y'; var parsed = formatter.guessDate(dateStr, format); console.log(parsed.toString()); // e.g., 'Thu Apr 03 2025 ...' // Another example with custom format var result = formatter.formatDate(now, 'l, F jS Y'); console.log(result); // e.g., 'Thursday, April 3rd 2025'

Debug

Known issues

deprecatedThe library uses global DateFormatter; no module support (ESM/CommonJS).

fix

Consider using a modern library like Luxon or date-fns if you need modules.

affects: <=1.3.7

gotchaguessDate does not throw error on invalid input; returns null or incorrect Date silently.

fix

Always validate input string matches expected format before calling guessDate.

affects: >=1.0

gotchaTime zone handling is based on browser's local time zone; no timezone support for parsing.

fix

Be aware that output will be in local time zone. For UTC, wrap with Date's UTC methods.

affects: >=1.0

breakingRemoved jQuery dependency in v1.3.2; code may break if relying on old global jQuery usage.

fix

Update any custom code that assumed jQuery is required; the library now works standalone.

affects: >=1.3.2

gotchaPHP format characters like 'I' (DST) and 'Z' (timezone offset) are not fully supported.

fix

Avoid using these format characters or test thoroughly.

affects: >=1.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: DateFormatter is not a constructor

Using import { DateFormatter } from 'php-date-formatter' in Node.js without proper require.

fix

Use const DateFormatter = require('php-date-formatter');

ReferenceError: DateFormatter is not defined

Script not loaded or loaded after usage in browser.

fix

Ensure php-date-formatter.min.js is loaded before your script.

date.replace is not a function

Calling formatDate without a valid Date object (passing string or number).

fix

Always convert input to Date object: new Date(dateStr) or new Date(timestamp).

Upgrade

Version history

1.3.7latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

14 hits · last 30 days

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Resources

githubhttps://github.com/kartik-v/php-date-formatter ↗

packagephp-date-formatter ↗

homepagehttps://github.com/kartik-v/php-date-formatter ↗