[Dbix-class] Pointless update on a date field

[Jason Kohles]

On Sep 13, 2007, at 3:01 PM, Richard Jones wrote:

> Jonathan Rockway wrote:
>> Richard Jones wrote:
>>> There is obviously something amiss because if I omit my own
>>> date_to_mysql() method then system tries to retrieve dates in
>>> dd/mm/yyyy format.
>> I think you're misunderstanding InflateColumn::DateTime.
>
> Well you're not wrong there.
>
> Here's some
>> example code:
>>   $some_rs->create({ creation_time => DateTime->now });
>
> But I still don't see how to translate that to my example. Do I  
> need to setup __PACKAGE__->inflate_columns() in Schema::Foo as in  
> the docs? I assumed so and did so, using DateTime::Format::MySQL- 
> >parse_datetime() for inflation and D::F::M::format_datetime() for  
> deflation.
>
No, all you have to do is:

__PACKAGE__->load_components( qw( InflateColumn::DateTime Core ) );

and then...

__PACKAGE__->add_columns(
	dob	=> { data_type => 'date' },
);

InflateColumn::DateTime overloads register_column, so when you add a  
column with a data_type of 'datetime' or that starts with  
'timestamp', it sets up the inflator/deflator for you (check the  
overloaded register_column() method in InflateColumn::DateTime to see  
exactly what it is doing.)

> How then do I do something like $schema->update( \%form_data ) when  
> the user submits a date formatted as '20/12/2000'. How would you do  
> it with the US equivalent '12/20/2000'?
>
As I understand it, you have a date_to_mysql() method that takes a  
variety of different date formats and turns them into mysql formatted  
dates, what you should probably do is turn that into a  
date_to_datetime() method, that returns a DateTime object instead of  
a mysql-formatted date.  In my case I just use HTML::FormFu with an  
inflator that turns dates from the form into DateTime objects  
automatically.  If you really want to update your database with  
'12/20/2000', one possible way to do that would be...

use DateTime::Format::Strptime qw( strptime );
$some_dbic_object->updated_time( strptime( '%m/%d/%y', '12/20/2000' ) );
$some_dbic_object->update();

> Actually I think I'm partly there as the dumped sql now shows a  
> definite conversion to MySQL format, at least for some dates  
> (others are generating Template::Context errors).
>
> Perhaps you could just confirm I'm on the right track with just  
> defining the inflate_columns inflate and deflate subs, and letting  
> the db do the rest? Thanks.

It's the right track if you are not using InflateColumn::DateTime, if  
you are using it, then you don't need to define the inflator/deflator  
yourself, you just need to use the plugin (and make sure it appears  
in the load_components list *before* Core, as it overloads Core  
methods) and then define columns with appropriate data_types.

-- 
Jason Kohles
email at jasonkohles.com
http://www.jasonkohles.com/
"A witty saying proves nothing."  -- Voltaire