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Quick Overview
CakePHP Chronos is a standalone DateTime library that extends PHP's built-in DateTime classes. It provides a simple and intuitive API for working with dates, times, and time zones, offering immutable date/time objects and a range of helpful methods for date manipulation and comparison.
Pros
- Immutable objects, preventing accidental state changes
- Extensive set of methods for date/time manipulation and comparison
- Seamless integration with CakePHP framework
- Lightweight and can be used independently of CakePHP
Cons
- Learning curve for developers not familiar with immutable date/time objects
- Some methods may have slightly different behavior compared to PHP's native DateTime
- Limited support for complex recurring date patterns
Code Examples
Creating a date and performing operations:
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
$date = Chronos::now();
$futureDate = $date->addDays(7)->addHours(3);
echo $futureDate->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
Comparing dates:
$date1 = Chronos::create(2023, 5, 1);
$date2 = Chronos::create(2023, 5, 15);
if ($date1->lt($date2)) {
echo "Date 1 is earlier than Date 2";
}
Working with time zones:
$localTime = Chronos::now();
$tokyoTime = $localTime->setTimezone('Asia/Tokyo');
echo "Local time: " . $localTime->format('H:i') . "\n";
echo "Tokyo time: " . $tokyoTime->format('H:i');
Getting Started
To use Chronos in your project, first install it via Composer:
composer require cakephp/chronos
Then, in your PHP code, you can start using Chronos like this:
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
$now = Chronos::now();
echo $now->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$future = $now->addWeeks(2);
echo $future->diffForHumans(); // Outputs: "2 weeks from now"
Competitor Comparisons
A simple PHP API extension for DateTime.
Pros of Carbon
- More extensive feature set and API
- Larger community and ecosystem
- Better documentation and examples
Cons of Carbon
- Heavier and potentially slower for simple use cases
- More complex API can be overwhelming for beginners
- Requires more frequent updates due to its larger codebase
Code Comparison
Carbon:
$date = Carbon::now()->addWeeks(2);
$formatted = $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$diffForHumans = $date->diffForHumans();
Chronos:
$date = Chronos::now()->addWeeks(2);
$formatted = $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$diffForHumans = $date->diffForHumans();
Both libraries offer similar basic functionality for date and time manipulation. Carbon provides more advanced features and methods, while Chronos focuses on simplicity and performance. Carbon is generally more popular and widely used, but Chronos can be a good choice for projects that prioritize lightweight dependencies and straightforward date handling. The choice between the two often depends on the specific requirements of the project and the developer's familiarity with each library.
Parse, validate, manipulate, and display dates in javascript.
Pros of Moment
- Extensive documentation and community support
- Wide range of plugins and extensions available
- Familiar API for developers transitioning from JavaScript
Cons of Moment
- Larger bundle size, which can impact performance
- Not immutable by default, leading to potential side effects
- Deprecated in favor of more modern alternatives
Code Comparison
Moment:
const now = moment();
const tomorrow = now.add(1, 'day');
const formattedDate = tomorrow.format('YYYY-MM-DD');
Chronos:
$now = Chronos::now();
$tomorrow = $now->addDay();
$formattedDate = $tomorrow->format('Y-m-d');
Key Differences
- Chronos is designed for PHP, while Moment is primarily for JavaScript
- Chronos offers immutability by default, reducing unexpected side effects
- Moment has a larger ecosystem and more third-party integrations
- Chronos is more lightweight and focused on core date/time functionality
- Moment's API is more extensive, but Chronos aims for simplicity and performance
Both libraries provide powerful date and time manipulation capabilities, but they cater to different ecosystems and have distinct design philosophies. The choice between them often depends on the specific project requirements, programming language, and performance considerations.
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Pros of date-fns
- Modular architecture allows for tree-shaking and smaller bundle sizes
- Extensive API with a wide range of date manipulation functions
- Supports multiple locales for internationalization
Cons of date-fns
- Steeper learning curve due to its extensive API
- Requires more setup and configuration for advanced features
Code Comparison
date-fns:
import { format, addDays } from 'date-fns'
const date = new Date()
const formattedDate = format(date, 'yyyy-MM-dd')
const futureDate = addDays(date, 7)
Chronos:
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
$date = new Chronos();
$formattedDate = $date->format('Y-m-d');
$futureDate = $date->addDays(7);
Key Differences
- date-fns is a JavaScript library, while Chronos is a PHP library
- date-fns uses a functional approach, whereas Chronos uses an object-oriented approach
- Chronos is built on top of PHP's DateTime class, providing additional functionality
- date-fns offers more granular control over imports, potentially reducing bundle size
Use Cases
- date-fns: Ideal for modern JavaScript projects, especially those using frameworks like React or Vue
- Chronos: Well-suited for PHP applications, particularly those built with CakePHP framework
Both libraries provide powerful date manipulation capabilities, but the choice between them largely depends on the programming language and ecosystem of your project.
⏰ Day.js 2kB immutable date-time library alternative to Moment.js with the same modern API
Pros of Day.js
- Lightweight: Day.js is significantly smaller in size (2KB minified and gzipped) compared to Chronos
- Extensive plugin ecosystem: Offers a wide range of plugins for additional functionality
- Browser compatibility: Works in both modern browsers and older ones like IE 8
Cons of Day.js
- Less comprehensive: Lacks some advanced features and methods available in Chronos
- Performance: May be slower for complex operations compared to Chronos' optimized implementation
Code Comparison
Day.js:
import dayjs from 'dayjs'
const date = dayjs('2023-05-15')
const formattedDate = date.format('YYYY-MM-DD')
const addedDays = date.add(7, 'day')
Chronos:
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
$date = new Chronos('2023-05-15');
$formattedDate = $date->format('Y-m-d');
$addedDays = $date->addDays(7);
Both libraries provide similar functionality for basic date operations, but their syntax and language-specific implementations differ. Day.js focuses on simplicity and modularity, while Chronos offers a more comprehensive set of features out of the box.
Simple, efficient background processing for Ruby
Pros of Sidekiq
- Robust background job processing for Ruby applications
- Supports multiple queues and job prioritization
- Provides real-time monitoring and management tools
Cons of Sidekiq
- Limited to Ruby ecosystem, while Chronos is PHP-based
- Requires Redis as a dependency
- More complex setup compared to Chronos' straightforward date/time manipulation
Code Comparison
Sidekiq (job processing):
class HardWorker
include Sidekiq::Worker
def perform(name, count)
# do something
end
end
HardWorker.perform_async('bob', 5)
Chronos (date/time manipulation):
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
$date = new Chronos('2015-10-21 16:29:00');
$futureDate = $date->addDays(2);
While both libraries serve different purposes, this comparison highlights their core functionalities. Sidekiq focuses on background job processing in Ruby applications, offering features like queue management and monitoring. Chronos, on the other hand, provides a simple and intuitive way to work with dates and times in PHP, extending PHP's native DateTime class with additional functionality.
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CakePHP Chronos
Chronos focuses on providing immutable date/datetime objects. Immutable objects help ensure that datetime objects aren't accidentally modified keeping data more predictable.
Installation
Installing with composer:
$ composer require cakephp/chronos
You can then use Chronos:
<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
use Cake\Chronos\Chronos;
printf("Now: %s", Chronos::now());
Differences with nesbot/carbon
Chronos was originally compatible with Carbon but has diverged and no longer extends the PHP DateTime and DateTimeImmutable classes.
Immutable Object Changes
Immutable objects have a number of advantages:
- Using immutable objects is always free of side-effects.
- Dates and times don't accidentally change underneath other parts of your code.
With those benefits in mind, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when modifying immutable objects:
// This will lose modifications
$date = new Chronos('2015-10-21 16:29:00');
$date->modify('+2 hours');
// This will keep modifications
$date = new Chronos('2015-10-21 16:29:00');
$date = $date->modify('+2 hours');
Calendar Dates
PHP only offers datetime objects as part of the native extensions. Chronos adds
a number of conveniences to the traditional DateTime object and introduces
a ChronosDate
object. ChronosDate
instances their time frozen to 00:00:00
and the timezone
set to the server default timezone. This makes them ideal when working with
calendar dates as the time components will always match.
use Cake\Chronos\ChronosDate;
$today = new ChronosDate();
echo $today;
// Outputs '2015-10-21'
echo $today->modify('+3 hours');
// Outputs '2015-10-21'
Like instances of Chronos
, ChronosDate
objects are also immutable.
Documentation
A more descriptive documentation can be found at book.cakephp.org/chronos/3/en/.
API Documentation
API documentation can be found on api.cakephp.org/chronos.
Top Related Projects
A simple PHP API extension for DateTime.
Parse, validate, manipulate, and display dates in javascript.
⏳ Modern JavaScript date utility library ⌛️
⏰ Day.js 2kB immutable date-time library alternative to Moment.js with the same modern API
Simple, efficient background processing for Ruby
Convert designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot