DateInterval::format
Formats the interval
&reftitle.description;
public stringDateInterval::format
stringformat
Formats the interval.
&reftitle.parameters;
format
The following characters are recognized in the
<parameter>format</parameter> parameter string.
Each format character must be prefixed by a percent sign
(<literal>%</literal>).
format character
Description
Example values
%
Literal %
%
Y
Years, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03
y
Years, numeric
1, 3
M
Months, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03, 12
m
Months, numeric
1, 3, 12
D
Days, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03, 31
d
Days, numeric
1, 3, 31
a
Total number of days as a result of a DateTime::diff or (unknown) otherwise
4, 18, 8123
H
Hours, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03, 23
h
Hours, numeric
1, 3, 23
I
Minutes, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03, 59
i
Minutes, numeric
1, 3, 59
S
Seconds, numeric, at least 2 digits with leading 0
01, 03, 57
s
Seconds, numeric
1, 3, 57
F
Microseconds, numeric, at least 6 digits with leading
0
007701, 052738, 428291
f
Microseconds, numeric
7701, 52738, 428291
R
Sign "-" when negative, "+" when positive
-, +
r
Sign "-" when negative, empty when positive
-,
&reftitle.returnvalues;
Returns the formatted interval.
&reftitle.changelog;
&Version;
&Description;
7.2.12
The F and f format
will now always be positive.
7.1.0
The F and f format
characters were added.
&reftitle.examples;
<classname>DateInterval</classname> example
format('%d days');
]]>
&example.outputs;
<classname>DateInterval</classname> and carry over points
format('%d days');
]]>
&example.outputs;
<classname>DateInterval</classname> and
<methodname>DateTime::diff</methodname> with the %a and %d modifiers
diff($january);
// %a will output the total number of days.
echo $interval->format('%a total days')."\n";
// While %d will only output the number of days not already covered by the
// month.
echo $interval->format('%m month, %d days');
]]>
&example.outputs;
&reftitle.notes;
The DateInterval::format method does not
recalculate carry over points in time strings nor in date segments. This
is expected because it is not possible to overflow values like "32 days"
which could be interpreted as anything from "1 month and 4 days"
to "1 month and 1 day".
&reftitle.seealso;
DateTime::diff