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Tuxie
Smarty n00b
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:15 am Post subject: Displaying local time without multiple caches |
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I just wanted to share a little trick I have for my site. It let me have a single cached page with all times/dates shown in the user's local time, the timezone that is configured by her operating system.
This is the first thing I've written in JavaScript ever so this could probably be made both cleaner and more efficient by someone who know JavaScript better. 
The file "localtime.js" is included in my template's header using:
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/localtime.js"></script>
Then a dynamically generated javascript file is included with:
<script type="text/javascript" src="config.js.php"></script>
config.js.php outputs variables like:
_timeformat = 'Y-M-D H:m';
or
_timeformat = 'M/D/y h:ma';
In my database I store ALL timestamps as GMT/UTC UNIX timestamps/epoch integers.
localtime.js:
| Code: |
/* localtime.js by Per Wigren <tuxie(a)dekadance(.)se> */
function zeropad(number)
{
if( number < 10 ) return ("0"+number);
else return number;
}
function ampm(hour)
{
if( hour < 12 ) return "am";
else return "pm";
}
function hour12(hour)
{
if( hour > 12 ) return hour - 12;
else return hour;
}
function localtime(epoch)
{
d = new Date(0);
d = new Date( d.setUTCMilliseconds(epoch*1000) );
str = _timeformat.replace('Y', d.getFullYear());
str = str.replace('y', d.getYear());
str = str.replace('M', zeropad(d.getMonth()+1));
str = str.replace('D', zeropad(d.getDate()));
str = str.replace('H', zeropad(d.getHours()));
str = str.replace('h', hour12(d.getHours()));
str = str.replace('m', zeropad(d.getMinutes()));
str = str.replace('s', zeropad(d.getSeconds()));
str = str.replace('a', ampm(d.getHours()));
document.write(str);
}
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Then I wrote a Smarty modifier plugin that looks like this:
| Code: |
function smarty_modifier_localtime($timestamp)
{
return '<script type="text/javascript">localtime('. $timestamp .');</script>';
}
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Now, every time I use {$timestamp|localtime} in a template Smarty will replace it with:
<script type="text/javascript">localtime(123456789);</script>
I use this technique for more things that frequently change or are user-specific. My dynamically created config.js.php outputs variables and my generated html write them like <script type="text/javascript">document.write(_myVariable);</script> instead of hardcoding them.
I hope someone find this useful.  |
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kills
Smarty Elite
Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 493
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:22 am Post subject: |
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Why dont using the date_format with an config var?
You can let the user change between the files which will be used for formating the date.
Remeber:
Javascript can be disabeld on browserside an so your page wont looks good. |
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Tuxie
Smarty n00b
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:55 am Post subject: |
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My site will require JavaScript to work correctly anyway. If JavaScript independance is required the approach won't work. The site will still work, but timestamps and live statistics will be shown as "####" or something instead, adding <noscript>####</noscript> to the Smarty modifier.
This method let me have ONE cached version of the pages instead of 20 versions per page, which means 1/20 as many page-generations which means that a LOT less server-power is required to run the site. And the site will still be very user-configurable. I think it's worth it. |
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sage
Smarty Rookie
Joined: 09 May 2004
Posts: 20
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:14 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | My site will require JavaScript to work correctly anyway. |
If you want to change the date using the client side browser (which is a good method), instead of using a direct document.write method, use default text such as the servers local time, which you change.
For example, for the date, you could place in your html somthing like:
| Code: |
<span id="usr_time">Server Local Time {$smarty.now|date_format:"%H:%M:%S"}</span>
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Then with the js, you can do somthing like (maybe a bit more neatly though )
| Code: |
window.onload{
var date_text = document.getElementById('usr_time').firstChild;
date_text.nodeValue = localtime();
}
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Where localtime() is a js function to return the local time in a string.
This way even if the user has js disabled you have some text which makes sense, but with js, adds to the usability.
(you could use the <noscript> tag which as you said will work, but I personally think its a nasty method, and also document.write will not work if you decide to make your pages XHTML) |
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