Date format conversion problem

gers32 · August 31, 2007, 7:53am

Hi,

I generate in RoR an XML file representing Oracle database data, which is then sent to an Adobe Flex UI as an HTTP Web Service. In order to format DATES in a way that Flex understands, I add the following code to environment.rb :

ActiveSupport::CoreExtensions::Time::Conversions::DATE_FORMATS.merge! ( :flex => '%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y' )

Then, I temporarily modify the formatting of my datetime data, in this function :

def list_timespan_flexdateformat_xml old_proc = Hash::XML_FORMATTING['datetime'] Hash::XML_FORMATTING['datetime'] = Proc.new { |datetime| datetime.to_s(:flex2) }

@rv_wrk_calendar_events = RvWrkCalendarEvent.find( :all, :conditions => [ "start_date >= ? and start_date <= ?", # Une alternative, au cas où... : #:all, :conditions => [ "start_date >= to_date(?, 'YYYY-MM-DD') and start_date <= to_date(?, 'YYYY-MM-DD')",

params[:min_start_date], params[:max_start_date]]) render :xml => @rv_wrk_calendar_events.to_xml

Hash::XML_FORMATTING['datetime'] = old_proc end

This works well for all Oracle DATE fields that contain TIME information. But for some mysterious reason, it doesn't work when the DATE field doesn't contain TIME information. The only meager result is that some formats (e.g., '%Y %m %d', '%Y/%m/%d' or '%Y-%m-%d') generate this :

<start_date type="datetime">2007-08-23</start_date>

instead of the default :

<start_date type="datetime">2007-08-23T00:00:00+02:00</start_date>

I tried replacing "datetime" with "time" in the code above, to no avail...

I know I can eventually parse the date in Flex, but this problem is driving me crazy!

Chris.

Ivor_Paul · August 31, 2007, 1:09pm

Hi Chris

Im not sure if this will help with the oracle case but I had to do a similar thing.

I ended up doing this:

In Rails xml.start_date(@project.start_date.to_s)

and in flex theNode.start_date = project.startDate.toUTCString();

If your dates dont have time information - can you not just go start_date.to_time which will add 00:00:00 to your date. So, you can in your model

(pseudo code) def start_date

start_date.to_time unless start_date has time component. end

Im not sure if this will do what you want but I hope it helps - i remember also struggling my ass of with dates and flex and rails.

Good luck.

Ivor
Hi,

I generate in RoR an XML file representing Oracle database data, which is then sent to an Adobe Flex UI as an HTTP Web Service. In order to format DATES in a way that Flex understands, I add the following code

to environment.rb :

ActiveSupport::CoreExtensions::Time::Conversions::DATE_FORMATS.merge! ( :flex => ‘%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y’ )

Then, I temporarily modify the formatting of my datetime data, in this

function :

def list_timespan_flexdateformat_xml old_proc = Hash::XML_FORMATTING[‘datetime’] Hash::XML_FORMATTING[‘datetime’] = Proc.new { |datetime| datetime.to_s(:flex2) }
@rv_wrk_calendar_events = RvWrkCalendarEvent.find(
                                  :all, :conditions =>
[ “start_date >= ? and start_date <= ?”, # Une alternative, au cas

où… : #:all, :conditions => [ “start_date >= to_date(?, ‘YYYY-MM-DD’) and start_date <= to_date(?, ‘YYYY-MM-DD’)”,

params[:min_start_date], params[:max_start_date]])
render :xml => @rv_wrk_calendar_events.to_xml

Hash::XML_FORMATTING['datetime'] = old_proc
end

This works well for all Oracle DATE fields that contain TIME information. But for some mysterious reason, it doesn’t work when the

DATE field doesn’t contain TIME information. The only meager result is that some formats (e.g., ‘%Y %m %d’, ‘%Y/%m/%d’ or ‘%Y-%m-%d’) generate this :

<start_date type=“datetime”>2007-08-23</start_date>

instead of the default :

<start_date type=“datetime”>2007-08-23T00:00:00+02:00</start_date>

I tried replacing “datetime” with “time” in the code above, to no

avail…

I know I can eventually parse the date in Flex, but this problem is driving me crazy!

Chris.

raghukumar · August 31, 2007, 1:16pm

Hi gers32, you can take a look at strftime example: Date.now.strftime("%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S") Time.now.stftime("%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S")

and if you large code base already written, then try overriding to_s method of Date/DateTime/Time(which is relevent to you) in your application.rb

gers32 · August 31, 2007, 2:14pm

Hi,

The reason I modify Hash::XML_FORMATTING['datetime'] locally is because I might need to use another Date format in my XML somewhere else in the application.

The issue, really, is that Rails somehow treats different Date fields of my Oracle database differently...

Ivor_Paul · August 31, 2007, 3:30pm

I quick google revieled a number of hits from various fields where the date was an issue in oracle.

I found this link http://download-uk.oracle.com/docs/cd/B14117_01/server.101/b10749/ch4datetime.htm

from the section on DATE datatype:

A date can be specified as an ANSI date literal or as an Oracle date value.

An ANSI date literal contains no time portion and must be specified in exactly the following format:

DATE 'YYYY-MM-DD'

The following is an example of an ANSI date literal:

DATE '1998-12-25'

Alternatively, you can specify an Oracle date value as shown in the following example:

TO_DATE(‘1998-DEC-25 17:30’,‘YYYY-MON-DD HH24:MI’,‘NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE=AMERICAN’)

Im probably way of the mark since I know nothing about oracle but that’s my 2 cents worth.

Why dont you just .to_time your date before you send it over to flex?

Regards Ivor

Ivor_Paul · August 31, 2007, 3:30pm