Display date and time in your own language format

Tutorial created by Rune Brynestad, Totalweb AS

Categories: PHP

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Definition and Usage

The setlocale() function sets locale information.
Locale information is language, monetary, time and other information specific for a geographical area.
Note: The setlocale() function changes the locale only for the current script.
Find your Language and Locale code: http://red-route.org/code/php-international-language-and-locale-codes-demonstration

The strftime() function formats a local time and/or date according to locale settings.
See http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.strftime.php for more information

So how can you add your own language ?

You need to use setlocale() and strftime(). If you use the setlocale function properly, the strftime function will give you the result in your own language.

<?php setlocale (LC_TIME, "no_NO"); ?>
<?php echo strftime("%A"); ?>

This will return "Fredag" (Norwegian for the day Friday)

strftime has an optional second parameter, a timestamp that specifies the date / time you want to format.
The example above have no second parameter. Then the default date / time is now.

If you format the date field in your SQL query as timestamp, then you can add your date field to the second parameter in the strftime function.

<?php setlocale(LC_TIME, "no_NO"); ?>
<?php echo strftime('%e', strtotime($row_Recordset['Yourdate'])); ?>. <?php echo strftime('%B', strtotime($row_Recordset['Yourdate'])); ?> <?php echo date("Y", strtotime($row_Recordset['Yourdate'])); ?>

This will return
4. mars 2013 (norwegian) instead of 04. March 2013 (english default)

You can also use the same approach if you want to change time from 5 to 17:00 (12 to 24 hours)

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