Passing server time to javascript

[miocene]

I'm using a javascript-based countdown timer that currently uses the client's system time to calculate the countdown. I assume that this line of code is where this is performed:

var nowTime = new Date();

I'm trying to make the script use server time instead as some people may have wrong dates/times set or live in different time zones etc.

So what I did was use a bit of php:

var currentTime = <?php echo time(); ?>
var nowTime = new Date( currentTime);

This gives a result but now the countdown is 30 days off. I am testing on my local xampp server (which also uses system time) so there should be no discrepancy. I also tried adding

currentTime = currentTime – 2592000;

but no difference.

I can post the whole script if required but it is reasonably long.

[miocene]

Solved it!

I passed the js date() function a date string rather than seconds:

<?php date_default_timezone_set('Europe/London'); ?>
<script type="text/javascript">var currentTime = "<?php echo date('F j Y h:i:s A'); ?>"

var nowTime = new Date(currentTime);


</script>

[Kor]

Wrong PHP approach. use this:

<?php date_default_timezone_set(the server's zone here); ?>
var nowTime = new Date(<?php echo date("Y,n,j,G,i,s,u");?>);

u - milliseconds - only starting from PHP 5

[miocene]

Wrong PHP approach. use this:

var nowTime = new Date(<?php echo date("Y,n,j,G:i:s:u");?>);

u - milliseconds - only starting from PHP 5

I don't need the accuracy of milliseconds for my countdown. Also shouldn't the php date be passed as a string so it should be

var nowTime = new Date("<?php echo date("Y,n,j,G:i:s:u");?>");

Also, is the way I've done it bad practice (because it works!)?

[Kor]

Also shouldn't the php date be passed as a string so it should be

var nowTime = new Date("<?php echo date("Y,n,j,G:i:s:u");?>");

No, because the JavaScript Date() object needs all the arguments to be delimited by commas, not by colons. I must have done myself the error in my post, but I have corrected later

[Kor]

In fact I guess this would be enough, without specifying the time-zone:

var nowTime = new Date(<?php echo date("Y,n,j,G,i,s,u");?>);

[miocene]

But my original method works (am using the timezone deliberately)

[Kor]

But my original method works (am using the timezone deliberately)

There are many ways to skin a cat

[miocene]

I see where you are coming from but the various resources I have consulted say that the javascript date object also accepts a date string (which is what I'm using):

There are four ways of instantiating a date:

new Date() // current date and time
new Date(milliseconds) //milliseconds since 1970/01/01
new Date(dateString)
new Date(year, month, day, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds)

you can visit http://sergedenimes.co.uk to see if it works for you

[Kor]

I see where you are coming from but the various resources I have consulted say that the javascript date object also accepts a date string (which is what I'm using):

Yes. Date() accepts 3 ways of writing arguments (the 4th - no arguments at all - returns the now date):

Date(milliseconds) // as a number
Date(dateString) // as a string
Date(year, month, day, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds) // as numbers, January is 0

dateString can be written as:

"MonthLongName date, year hours:minutes:seconds:milliseconds"

//or in American style
"month/date/year" // numbers within string, but this time January is 1

Depending to the JavaScript desired format, you may arrange your PHP variables accordingly. The most common format used by the coders is the "mathematical" one:

Date(year, month, day, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds) // as numbers, January is 0