storing an abbreviated value then retrieve it in full

[runrunforest]

Hi,

In this case, value is time.

I need to store time value in database and when they are called, they need to be interpreted as time and display in time format.

Below is a select with options are clsoing time of a listing.

My mission is stored them when user select, then compare them with server time, further more, display them on the screen for user preference.

<select name="hour" id="hour">
	<option selected="selected">Choose closing time</option>
	<option value="1am">1:00 am</option>
	<option value="2am">2:00 am</option>
	<option value="3am">3:00 am</option>
	<option value="4am">4:00 am</option>
	<option value="5am">5:00 am</option>
	<option value="6am">6:00 am</option>
	<option value="7am">7:00 am</option>
	<option value="8am">8:00 am</option>
	<option value="9am">9:00 am</option>
	<option value="10am">10:00 am</option>
	<option value="11am">11:00 am</option>
	<option value="12am">12:00 am</option>
	<option value="1pm">1:00 pm</option>
	<option value="2pm">2:00 pm</option>
	<option value="3pm">3:00 pm</option>
	<option value="4pm">4:00 pm</option>
	<option value="5pm">5:00 pm</option>
	<option value="6pm">6:00 pm</option>
	<option value="7pm">7:00 pm</option>
	<option value="8pm">8:00 pm</option>
	<option value="9pm">9:00 pm</option>
	<option value="10pm">10:00 pm</option>
	<option value="11pm">11:00 pm</option>
	<option value="12pm">12:00 pm</option>	
</select>

Any solution appreciated.

[Daniel0]

I don't understand? You want e.g. 1am to become 1:00 AM? If that's the case then this should do it:

<?php
$string = '1am';
 
preg_match('/^(\d{1,2})(am|pm)$/i', $string, $matches);
 
echo $matches[1] . ':00 ' . strtoupper($matches[2]);
?>

[Cups]

<select id=hour name=hour>
    <option value="13">12:00 am</option>
    <option value="14">1:00 pm</option> 
</select> 

I would say you need to keep your return values as close as possible to your intended final use as possible.

An hour can best be handled as a number.

On the backend, when the form is posted you can then more easily:

1 check that hour is only an integer between 1 and 24

for example:

if ( $hour >0 && $hour <= 24 ) {
echo "good hour " . date("F j, Y, g:i a", mktime( 0,0, $hour,12,3,2008)); 
} 

2 you can then use that in your time check or to select things from your database

"select things from yourTable where datefield > 2008-03-12 $hour:00:00 " ;

    <option value="12pm">12:00 pm</option> 

Using "12pm" as the value means you then have to strip off the "pm", presumably after working out which 12 it was.

The same would be true for other date and time elements.

<option value="2008-03-12">Thu 3 December</option> 

HTH