Store the date format string "Y-m-d H:i:s" in a constant

[simonwheatley]

Currently the format string "Y-m-d H:i:s" is scattered through the WP codebase. It would seem more sensible and dryer (?) to have the format string in one place, perhaps a constant, and then refer to that constant wherever it is needed.

The attached patch does just that.

[simonwheatley]

One thing about this proposal I am unsure about, and which I would welcome a second opinion on, is where to set this constant. I did consider wp-db.php, but settled on wp-settings.php as the constant isn't purely used in a DB context.

[jacobsantos]

I know it is more or less micro-optimization verses readability, but seriously? So if a fix for one of those is to change it to 'Y-m-d' because it changed to DATE instead, would the person decide to update the constant or just replace the constant with another string? What about having a constant for Date, that is used outside the context of MySQL as well?

[simonwheatley]

A patch to change all dateformat strings like "Y-m-d H:i:s" to refer to a constant instead

[simonwheatley]

I accept this is a relatively minor issue, and that the world will keep turning either way. :) The pattern of using constants to specify date formats is, IMHO, a useful one and as I'm sure you're aware is even used in PHP 5 (​http://uk2.php.net/manual/en/class.datetime.php#datetime.constants.types).

Re the misguided developer changing this constant and creating problems in places where they might not be looking... surely we expect out developers to be careful? If not, then surely this is what tests are for?

(Updated patch to fix a stupid bug it introduced.)

[Denis-de-Bernardy]

Funny... to me, Y-m-d H:i:s reads as MYSQL_DATETIME, much like /(?:\b[^{.+]{1,2})*?\d+?\b/ reads as plain english. :D}

Seriously, though, while we're on the topic of using an app-wide constant rather than constant string that gets dumped in the functions, I'd be curious to know the memory and performance footprint of both options.

[Denis-de-Bernardy]

patch is no longer functional. suggesting wontfix, personally.

[Denis-de-Bernardy]

no apparent interest

[simonwheatley]

@Denis-de-Bernardy - I'd be happy for this ticket to be deleted. (Is that even possible?) I think I can chalk this one down to a burst of over-enthusiastic DRYness.