Question

I am taking a javascript new Date() and trying to format it as a string like so:

yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss

and then insert it into a SQLite database. I am using Appcelerator (1.7.2) which uses the Mozilla Rhino engine for JS.

Here is the function:

date.DateToSQLite = function(date){
if (date == null){
    return null;
}  else if (date instanceof Date == false){
    throw "not a date Object value:" + date;
};
var result  = date.getUTCFullYear();
result += '-';
if (date.getUTCMonth() < 9){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCMonth() +1;
result += '-';
if (date.getUTCDate() < 10){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCDate();
result += ' ';
if (date.getUTCHours() < 10){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCHours();
result += ':';
if (date.getUTCMinutes() < 10){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCMinutes();
result += ':';
if (date.getUTCSeconds() < 10){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCSeconds();
result += '.';
if (date.getUTCMilliseconds() < 100){
    result += '0';
}
if (date.getUTCMilliseconds() < 10){
    result += '0';
}
result += date.getUTCMilliseconds();

//Ti.API.info('date.DateToSQLite result:' + result + ' date:' + date);

return result;

};

I can’t recreate this myself, the function appears to always work for me, but some client’s databases show NAN-NAN-NAN NAN:NAN:NAN.NAN and this can go on for up to 40 minutes and then it starts working again.

Here is a screenshot of the field from a SQLite database as viewed in Navicat:

Can date.getUTCHours() or date.getUTCMinutes() return NAN:NAN?

Do I have to use UTC? My clients are in the Middle East.

This is an Titanium Appcelerator application running on iOS / iPad2 devices.

Answer 1

While the code is sort of … icky … it is not possible for any working JavaScript’s Date object to return NaN from the “getTimePart” methods:

1. Ensure the client(s) are using the expected code (not an old version), and;
2. Ensure the client(s) don’t have an absolutely broken JavaScript implementation, and;
3. There is no obscure — e.g. custom — “Date” object be used on said funky client(s)

It may also be possible that said environment(s) just have broken “getUTCTimePart” methods; can the symptoms be repeated with the non-UTC components?

Happy coding.