Since each user inputs a data with different formats, you have to treat them as they come in to the controller.
Using strptime with the specified format is the correct way to create the correct datetime give the user's format. When showing this same date you'll present them in the format they use, but the date on the database is always going to be in the same format. You could also override the setter of the datetime param on the model, but I've never had good experiences overriding attributes in AR. When showing the date you can use a decorator to format it on the view using the I18n.localize with :format parameter. On Apr 17, 12:11 am, Amit Patel <li...@ruby-forum.com> wrote: > I have an application where user sets his/her preferred date/time > format. User is expected to enter datetime in his preferred format > across the application. Now the problem is for few formats the datetime > is parsed wrongly while create/update ActiveRecord. > > For example user has set date/time format in hh:mm dd/MM/yyyy. Now if > user enters 17:00 04/05/2012 it parses it as 5 PM 5 Apr, 2012 where it > should be 5 PM 4 May, 2012 > > 1.8.7 :004 > a = Article.create!(:name => 'a1', :published_at => '17:00 > 04/05/2012') > => #<Article id: 2, name: "a1", published_at: "2012-04-05 17:00:00", > created_at: "2012-04-16 13:54:36", updated_at: "2012-04-16 13:54:36"> > > I understand that ruby/rails has predefined set of formats against which > the date/time string is evaluated and if matches any format in sequence > it parses given string with that format/ > > 1.8.7 :006 > a = Article.create!(:name => 'a1', :published_at => '17:00 > 15/12/2012') > => #<Article id: 4, name: "a1", published_at: nil, created_at: > "2012-04-16 13:55:43", updated_at: "2012-04-16 13:55:43"> > > Here user entered 15 December, 2012 which was parsed to nil. I > understand that ruby/rails was not able to match any predefined format > and hence returns nil. > > Someone has already asked similar questions > (http://stackoverflow.com/q/2529990andhttp://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/57923) > but the solution seems not > applicable in my case as I don't want single datetime format across the > application as each user will have his own preferred datetime format. > > Now to work with multiple datetime format, we are planning to manipulate > it before the params is passed to the ActiveRecord. So the steps would > like > > 1. Read datetime from params map > 2. Parse it with user's preferred datetime format > 3. Format datetime to the default format used by ActiveRecord > 4. Replace current datetime in params with re-formatted datetime > Here is a snippet of the controller > > class ArticlesController < ApplicationController > before_filter :format_date_time, :only => [:create, :update] > ... > ... > private > def format_date_time > datetime = params[:datetime] > params[:datetime] = DateTime.strptime(datetime, > pref_date_time_format).strftime('%c') > end > end > > Would anyone please verify if it is right approach or not? Also I would > appreciate someone outlines better ways to accomplish this. > > Thanks, > Amit Patel > > -- > Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
