# Date

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Please note:** This page is under construction and has not been finished yet.
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## Introduction

```php
$gen = e107::getDate();
```

## Date methods

### computeLapse()

Calculate difference between two dates for display in terms of years/months/weeks....

```php
$gen->computeLapse($older_date, $newer_date = FALSE, $mode = FALSE, $show_secs = TRUE, $format = 'long') 
```

| Parameter       | Type    | Description                                                                                                                          | Mandatory? |
| --------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- |
| **older\_date** | integer | UNIX timestamp                                                                                                                       | **Yes**    |
| newer\_date     | integer | <p>UNIX timestamp</p><p><em>Default:</em> current time</p>                                                                           | No         |
| mode            | boolean | <p>if <em>true</em> return value is an array. Otherwise return value is a string</p><p><em>Default: false</em></p>                   | No         |
| show\_secs      | boolean | *Default: true*                                                                                                                      | No         |
| format          | string  | <p>Format of the human readable date. Options:</p><ul><li>long</li><li>short (omits the year)</li></ul><p><em>Default: long</em></p> | No         |

### convert\_date()

Convert datestamp to human readable date. System time offset is considered.

```php
$gen->convert_date($datestamp, $mask = '')
```

| Parameter | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Mandatory? |
| --------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| datestamp | integer | UNIX timestamp                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | **Yes**    |
| mask      | string  | <p>Format of the human readable date. Options:</p><ul><li>long</li><li>short</li><li>forum</li><li>relative</li><li>(any <span data-gb-custom-inline data-tag="emoji" data-code="1f449">👉</span><a href="https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.strftime.php"><code>strftime()</code></a>valid string)</li></ul><p><em>Default: long</em></p> | No         |

{% hint style="info" %}
The configuration of the *mask* formats are specified in :point\_right: Admin Area > Preferences > [Date Display options](https://userguide.e107.org/administration/settings/preferences#date-display-options).&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### terms()

Return an array of language terms representing months

```php
$gen->terms($type='month')
```

| Parameter | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Mandatory? |
| --------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| type      | string | <p>Options:</p><ul><li>month <em>(August)</em></li><li>month-short <em>(Aug)</em></li><li>day <em>(Tuesday)</em></li><li>day-short <em>(Tue)</em></li><li>day-shortest <em>(Tu)</em></li></ul><p><em>Default:</em> month</p> | **Yes**    |


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