README

Laravel Models with nullable carbon dates, this also allow for returning a date object. When the value is null/zeros that will format to ''.

example

	// my_date on new model is null...
	// this will just be null value
	// so you can use the null coalesce operator to set a string
	
	echo $user->my_date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s') ?? 'Set a Date';
	 

This is useful for old databases that do not have NO_ZERO_IN_DATE, NO_ZERO_DATE so they may have 0000-00-00 type dates.

Add ZNDTrait and a couple arrays to define nullable dates to allow for zero and nullable dates.

You may also set null_all_dates on your model to set all to nullable without the arrays

Ultimately you can just set them all to $nullable, the addition of $zero_datetime and $zero_date are for testing that the database is updating as expected.

use Artistan\ZeroNullDates\ZNDTrait;

/**
 *  @see tests/Database/ZeroNullableUser.php
 */
class ZeroNullableUser extends Authenticatable
{
    use Notifiable;
    use ZNDTrait;  
    
    /**
     * The attributes that are zero-datetimes
     *
     * @var array
     */
    public static $zero_datetime = [
        'created_date',
    ];

    /**
     * The attributes that are zero-dates
     *
     * @var array
     */
    public static $zero_date = [
        'created_date_time',
        'created_date_time_zoned',
    ];

    /**
     * The attributes that are nullable dates
     *
     * @var array
     */
    public static $nullable = [
        'created_date_time_null',
        'created_date_time_zoned_null',
        'created_date_null',
        'created_at',
        'updated_at',
    ];
}

The unit tests are dynamic and test 288 assertions

test for all combinations of what things are set for date columns.... all combinations of mutators, castings, and dates

notes on current laravel functionality dealing with toArray, attribute accessors, and dates

#toArray vs accessor

if you use $model->{camel_key} (getAttributeValue), then it will

• model->{key} > getAttribute(key) > getAttributeFromArray(key)
  • get the original attribute
• mutate : if hasGetMutator > mutateAttribute
  • this is the accessor get{CasedKey}Attribute
  • mutate it if there is a mutator RETURN IT HERE
• cast : if hasCast > castAttribute
  • cast it if there is a cast method RETURN IT HERE
• date format : if matches getDates > asDateTime
  • finaly make a date (carbon) object from it IF NOT NULL RETURN IT HERE
• return value

note: the appends variables ARE mutated attributes that do not exist in the model attributes...

if you get attributes via $model->toArray then it will

• addDateAttributesToArray via getArrayableAttributes
  • so this is cast to a string AFTER carbon dating, no other processing will be applied
• addMutatedAttributesToArray via getMutatedAttributes
  • so AFTER dates transformed from carbon, then it will try mutating the formated data
  • can mutate the already "date formated" data since it passes that value to the mutateAttribute
• addCastAttributesToArray
  • this will cast a value to whatever type is specified
  • if date it will serialize it to the format specified
  • note, this is AFTER dates have already been carbon dated and formated by mutator
• getArrayableAppends
  • this will add any mutators that are not directly related to a model attibutue

date mutators.

these are both mutators and accessors, or mutates in and out

• get from db sends us a carbon date

data analysis

when date keys are set for dates that allow ZERO dates the formatting for 000-00-00 or variations of that fail. -0001-11-30 00:00:00 is the default result...

ZNDCarbon

using NULL as the data point when it is a zero nullable date

private static $empty_date = ['0', 0, false, '', '0000-00-00', '0000-00-00 00:00:00'];

mysql mode

mysql

SELECT @@sql_mode

homestead box setup for testing

vim /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf

sql_mode="ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY,STRICT_TRANS_TABLES,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION"

notes on dev package setup

• example package https://medium.com/@lasselehtinen/getting-started-on-laravel-package-development-a62110c58ba1
• package setup https://stackoverflow.com/a/44023017/372215
• test setup https://github.com/orchestral/testbench
• .env file in tests directory for configuration of your tests
• ln -s vendor/laravel/laravel/config in tests directory to allow access to config files
  • laravel does not have a seperate "config" path from the base path, damn it.