Question

I am a PHP developer and I am working on a project in which I need to store Arabic dates in my database.

However, I have created the application and embedded a JavaScript Arabic calender in it.

Now when I select a date, e.g 12/02/1442, and press the save button, it gives me the following error:

Year Out Of Range

Answer 1

These dates (Arabic, Jalali, …) usually have problems with SQL servers. In my experience, there are 3 ways to handle it:

1. Using character types for storing dates into the fields with any custom format. (The problem are: Manipulating, arithmetic, sorting,… which they are hard to implement)

2. Using integer or fixed character type for storing dates, like 14420101 for 1/1/1442. (Same as first one, but sorting is solved)

3. Using date or timestamp type for storing, you should convert dates to standard date format before storing it into the database, and when you’re reading them convert them back. This method needs a external programming language to handle (Usually there is an external language). Or you can write a internal functions in your database.

Just storing dates then methods 1 and 2 are enough.

Otherwise, I suggest third approach, because you can use date and time pre-defined functions which exists in database servers or programming languages.

For example you can use date_diff() easily in PHP, or use postgres internal functions for dates.