Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:124143
Precedence: bulk
MIME-Version: 1.0
References: <CABTDVhAXLuiKtbz4P_jwhHe=h_r62037mRE2Eg-864DoweOahw@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <CABTDVhAXLuiKtbz4P_jwhHe=h_r62037mRE2Eg-864DoweOahw@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2024 00:56:30 +0900
Message-ID: <CABTDVhB1WKKAky6y72mTqAJLKP1ZgwwrjYePsg+VAJuA4Fp6pg@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: [PHP-DEV] Re: [Discussion] Add date_test_set_now() function
To: PHP internals <internals@lists.php.net>
Cc: andreas@heigl.org, Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000b25acf061c31a414"
From: zeriyoshi@gmail.com (Go Kudo)

--000000000000b25acf061c31a414
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

2024=E5=B9=B47=E6=9C=881=E6=97=A5(=E6=9C=88) 22:07 Go Kudo <zeriyoshi@gmail=
.com>:

> Hi, Internals.
>
> I've been absent for a long time due to poor health. I'm finally back.
>
> I maintain a legacy application written in PHP, and occasionally need to
> fake the current time for testing purposes. However, PHP doesn't provide =
a
> standard way to fake the current time, so I've been changing the OS's
> current time to do this, which is quite painful.
>
> This can be avoided by using third-party libraries (such as
> Carbon::setTestNow()). However, it's almost impossible to modify all part=
s
> of a legacy application that depend on the current time.
>
> Another option is to use libfaketime (
> https://github.com/wolfcw/libfaketime), but this is also quite painful to
> use.
>
> Since this was absolutely necessary for my work, I implemented this
> functionality as a PHP Extension. (Please ignore the dirty implementation
> related to PDO. I'm not planning to propose it this time.)
>
> https://github.com/colopl/php-colopl_timeshifter
>
> However, this Extension has some problems.
>
> The first is that there's no way to determine whether the format passed t=
o
> the ext-date parser is relative or absolute time, resulting in a dirty ha=
ck
> using usleep. The second is that it depends on timelib, so it breaks when
> upstream changes related to timelib are made.
>
> So, how about adding a `date_set_test_now(\DateInterval $shiftInterval)`
> function to ext-date?
>
> This function would treat the current time as shifted by the passed
> DateInterval. Since it's implemented on the ext-date side, there's no nee=
d
> for dirty hacks using usleep.
>
> I'd like to hear your opinions. Thank you.
>
> Best Regards,
>
Go Kudo
>

I apologize, the main point of my explanation was off.

To put it simply, I'm suggesting that it might be good to implement
convenient and commonly used features from Carbon at the ext-date level.

I'm proposing the date_test_set_now() function for the following reasons:

User-land libraries like Carbon / Chronos have a setTestNow method,
indicating a potential demand for this feature.
It's impossible to determine whether a value is relative or absolute time
from either user-land or Extension.
While this is convenient for maintaining legacy systems, that's not the
essence of this proposal.

As you pointed out, this is an issue that should ideally be solved in
user-land. I deeply understand that.

However, in reality, PHP's time-related processing is diverse, and to
comprehensively handle all of these, it seems necessary to address this at
the ext-date level.

https://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.datetime.php

For example, you might want to use the date() function to display the
current time on a whim. However, doing this ruins everything.

Even if other parts of your code use Carbon or comply with PSR-20, using
the date() function is problematic because the current time it references
cannot be modified.

`date_test_now(\DateInterval $shiftInterval)` can solve this problem.

Of course, there might be various side effects. However, seeing
`Carbon::setTestNow()` being used in various places, I think this feature
might be necessary.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Best Regards,
Go Kudo

--000000000000b25acf061c31a414
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">2024=E5=B9=B47=E6=9C=881=E6=97=A5(=E6=9C=
=88) 22:07 Go Kudo &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:zeriyoshi@gmail.com">zeriyoshi@gma=
il.com</a>&gt;:<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=3D"gm=
ail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,=
204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi, Internals.<div><br></div><d=
iv>I&#39;ve been absent for a long time due to poor health. I&#39;m finally=
 back.<br><br>I maintain a legacy application written in PHP, and occasiona=
lly need to fake the current time for testing purposes. However, PHP doesn&=
#39;t provide a standard way to fake the current time, so I&#39;ve been cha=
nging the OS&#39;s current time to do this, which is quite painful.<br><br>=
This can be avoided by using third-party libraries (such as Carbon::setTest=
Now()). However, it&#39;s almost impossible to modify all parts of a legacy=
 application that depend on the current time.<br><br>Another option is to u=
se libfaketime (<a href=3D"https://github.com/wolfcw/libfaketime" target=3D=
"_blank">https://github.com/wolfcw/libfaketime</a>), but this is also quite=
 painful to use.<br><br>Since this was absolutely necessary for my work, I =
implemented this functionality as a PHP Extension. (Please ignore the dirty=
 implementation related to PDO. I&#39;m not planning to propose it this tim=
e.)<br><br><a href=3D"https://github.com/colopl/php-colopl_timeshifter" tar=
get=3D"_blank">https://github.com/colopl/php-colopl_timeshifter</a><br><br>=
However, this Extension has some problems.<br><br>The first is that there&#=
39;s no way to determine whether the format passed to the ext-date parser i=
s relative or absolute time, resulting in a dirty hack using usleep. The se=
cond is that it depends on timelib, so it breaks when upstream changes rela=
ted to timelib are made.<br><br>So, how about adding a `date_set_test_now(\=
DateInterval $shiftInterval)` function to ext-date?<br><br>This function wo=
uld treat the current time as shifted by the passed DateInterval. Since it&=
#39;s implemented on the ext-date side, there&#39;s no need for dirty hacks=
 using usleep.<br><br>I&#39;d like to hear your opinions. Thank you.<br></d=
iv><div><br></div><div>Best Regards,=C2=A0</div></div></blockquote><blockqu=
ote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px=
 solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Go Kudo</di=
v></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I apologize, the main point of my =
explanation was off.<br><br>To put it simply, I&#39;m suggesting that it mi=
ght be good to implement convenient and commonly used features from Carbon =
at the ext-date level.<br><br>I&#39;m proposing the date_test_set_now() fun=
ction for the following reasons:<br><br>User-land libraries like Carbon / C=
hronos have a setTestNow method, indicating a potential demand for this fea=
ture.<br>It&#39;s impossible to determine whether a value is relative or ab=
solute time from either user-land or Extension.<br>While this is convenient=
 for maintaining legacy systems, that&#39;s not the essence of this proposa=
l.<br><br>As you pointed out, this is an issue that should ideally be solve=
d in user-land. I deeply understand that.<br><br>However, in reality, PHP&#=
39;s time-related processing is diverse, and to comprehensively handle all =
of these, it seems necessary to address this at the ext-date level.<br><br>=
<a href=3D"https://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.datetime.php">https://www.php.=
net/manual/en/ref.datetime.php</a><br><br>For example, you might want to us=
e the date() function to display the current time on a whim. However, doing=
 this ruins everything.<br><br>Even if other parts of your code use Carbon =
or comply with PSR-20, using the date() function is problematic because the=
 current time it references cannot be modified.<br><br>`date_test_now(\Date=
Interval $shiftInterval)` can solve this problem.<br><br>Of course, there m=
ight be various side effects. However, seeing `Carbon::setTestNow()` being =
used in various places, I think this feature might be necessary.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>I would appreciate your thoughts on this.<br></div><div><br>=
</div><div>Best Regards,</div><div>Go Kudo</div></div></div>

--000000000000b25acf061c31a414--