This is How to Convert Date to Unix and Add a Year in Gravity Forms
As a WordPress developer, you may often need to work with date and time data in your projects. One common scenario is when you're using Gravity Forms to collect user input, and you need to convert the date values to a different format, such as Unix timestamp, and add an additional year.
In this blog post, we'll explore a simple solution to this problem using the code snippet you provided. We'll break down the code step-by-step and explain how it works, so you can apply it to your own projects.
Understanding the Code
Let's take a closer look at the code snippet you shared:
function rkv_datesubmit_fix2 ($form){
//ACTUAL START DATE FIELD, date field id is 601 in gravity forms
$raw_srt = $_POST['input_601'];
$raw_end = $_POST['input_602'];
// convert dates to unix
$fix_srt = strtotime ($raw_srt);
$fix_end = strtotime($raw_end.' + 1 year');
//output to gravity forms field 603 (start date)
//output to gravity forms field 604 (end date)
$_POST['input_603'] = $fix_srt;
$_POST['input_604'] = $fix_end;
}
add_action('gform_pre_submission', 'rkv_datesubmit_fix2');
Here's a breakdown of what's happening:
- The
rkv_datesubmit_fix2
function is hooked to the gform_pre_submission
action, which means it will be executed just before the form is submitted.
- Inside the function, we're accessing the values of two custom fields in Gravity Forms:
input_601
(start date) and input_602
(end date). These values are stored in the $raw_srt
and $raw_end
variables, respectively.
- Next, we're converting the date values to Unix timestamps using the
strtotime()
function. The $fix_srt
variable holds the Unix timestamp for the start date, and $fix_end
holds the Unix timestamp for the end date plus an additional year.
- Finally, we're updating the values of two other custom fields in Gravity Forms:
input_603
(start date in Unix timestamp) and input_604
(end date in Unix timestamp plus one year).
The key part here is the strtotime($raw_end.' + 1 year')
line, which adds one year to the end date before converting it to a Unix timestamp. This is a simple and straightforward way to achieve the desired result.
Why Convert to Unix Timestamp?
You may be wondering, "Why do we need to convert the date values to Unix timestamp?" There are a few reasons for this:
- Consistency: Unix timestamps provide a consistent way to represent dates and times, regardless of the local time zone or format used in the original input. This can be especially useful when working with databases or other systems that expect dates and times to be in a specific format.
- Calculations: Unix timestamps are numeric values that represent the number of seconds since the Unix epoch (January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC). This makes it easy to perform calculations on dates and times, such as determining the difference between two dates or adding/subtracting a certain number of days, months, or years.
- Storage: Storing dates and times as Unix timestamps can be more efficient than storing them as strings or in a specific date/time format. Unix timestamps take up less space in the database and are easier to index and query.
By converting the date values to Unix timestamps and adding an additional year to the end date, you're ensuring that the data is stored in a consistent, easy-to-work-with format that can be easily manipulated and used in various parts of your WordPress application.
Real-World Example
Let's say you have a Gravity Forms form that allows users to schedule an appointment. The form might have the following fields:
- Start Date (date field with ID 601)
- End Date (date field with ID 602)
When the user submits the form, you want to store the start and end dates in your database, but you also want to add one year to the end date to account for potential future scheduling.
Using the code snippet you provided, here's how the process would work:
- The user fills out the form and submits it.
- The
rkv_datesubmit_fix2
function is called, and it retrieves the values of the input_601
(start date) and input_602
(end date) fields.
- The function then converts the start date and end date to Unix timestamps using the
strtotime()
function, with the end date having an additional year added to it.
- The function updates the
input_603
(start date in Unix timestamp) and input_604
(end date in Unix timestamp plus one year) fields.
- The form is then submitted, and the data is saved to the database.
Now, when you retrieve the form data from the database, you can easily work with the start and end dates in a consistent, easy-to-use format. For example, you can display the dates in a user-friendly format, calculate the duration between the start and end dates, or use the dates for scheduling and calendar integration.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we've explored a simple solution for converting date values to Unix timestamps and adding an additional year to the end date in Gravity Forms. By using the provided code snippet, you can easily implement this functionality in your WordPress projects, ensuring that your date and time data is stored and processed in a consistent and efficient manner.
Remember, the code snippet you shared is just one example of how to achieve this task. There may be other approaches or variations that better suit your specific needs or project requirements. The key is to understand the underlying principles and apply them in a way that works best for your application.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to the team at Flowpoint.ai. We specialize in helping WordPress developers and website owners optimize their sites for better conversion rates, and we'd be happy to provide guidance and support on your technical challenges
Get a Free AI Website Audit
Automatically identify UX and content issues affecting your conversion rates with Flowpoint's comprehensive AI-driven website audit.