Timezone selection

Yii 1.1 Tips, Snippets and Tutorials
1

Hi all,

While I think timezone handling in PHP5 is a good thing, I hate the usability part when a user needs to select a timezone in their profile, for example. I looked around on the web a bit for solutions, but most seem to simply drop all the identifiers in a list like so:




America/Toronto

Asia/Tokyo

Europe/Amsterdam

...

Not very pretty. So, here’s a different approach to do it. The method below (which you could include in a model for example) would create a list with <optgroup>'ed countries and cities like this:




[b]Canada[/b]

  Toronto

[b]Japan[/b]

  Tokyo

[b]Netherlands[/b]

  Amsterdam

Here’s the code:




<?php

/**

 * Prepares an array with timezone information

 * 

 * This method takes an XML file, parses it into an CHtml::listData() array

 * which can be used to populate a dropDownList or listBox with timezone

 * selection.

 * 

 * Note: download the XML file from opencountrycodes.appspot.com and

 * place it in the same directory as the file that contains this method.

 * 

 * @return array 

 */

public static function getTimeZoneOptions()

{

    // Create a keyed countries array in the form: 'NL' => 'Netherlands'.

    $countries = array();

    $file = new SimpleXMLElement(__DIR__ . '/countries.xml', null, true);

    foreach ($file->country as $country) {

        $code = trim(strtoupper($country['code']));

        $name = trim($country['name']);

        $countries[$code] = $name;

    }


    // Create a keyed array that contains timezone entries for each country.

    // The array has zone_id, city_name and country_name keys.

    $models = array();

    foreach ($countries as $code => $name) {

        $country = DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers(DateTimeZone::PER_COUNTRY, $code);


        if (!empty($country))

        {

            foreach ($country as $city) {

                $city_name = trim(strstr($city, '/'), '/');

                $substr = strstr($city_name, '/');

                if ($substr)

                    $city_name = trim($substr, ' /');


                $models[] = array(

                    'country_name' => $name,

                    'zone_id' => trim($city),

                    'city_name' => str_replace('_', ' ', $city_name),

                );

            }

        }

    }


    // Uses a Yii helper function to transform the array in a format that is

    // suitable to populate dropdown lists and list boxes with.

    return CHtml::listData($models, 'zone_id', 'city_name', 'country_name');

}

?>

It’s kind of basic and I’m sure it could use work, but maybe you find it useful in some way. If anyone has a better solution in regards to timezone selection and usability, I’m all ears. :)

2

For this to work countries.xml is needed…

3

You’re right.

The comment in the code says so:


* Note: download the XML file from opencountrycodes.appspot.com and

 * place it in the same directory as the file that contains this method.

Thanks for the snippet.

Consider putting it on the wiki?

4

I’m not sure if the wiki is a suitable place for such a short snippet… :unsure:

5

If it gets any bigger than this it wouldn’t be a snippet, but an extension, wouldn’t it?

If put on the wiki, it would be tagged and thus much easier to find.

All IMO. ;)

6

If you’re not going to wiki it, I will.

Look at this page, for instance:

saving-nulls-to-database-instead-of-empty-strings/

It’s not big, is it?

But it’s easy to find - because it’s tagged and versioned and not buried in a forum.

Just my two cents.

7

Incase it’s useful to anyone, here is an associative array of timezones broken down by continent suitable for input into dropDownList().

Originally based on the list here (with some cleanup and the nesting by me): http://excellent-coder.blogspot.com/2009/11/php-timezone-array.html

Doesn’t seem to be 100% complete (in particular only one Olson zone for each Europe offset), but most major zones seem to be covered.




        /**

         * Returns a nested array of timzones by continant. Suitable for input into

         */

        public static function getTimeZones()

        {

                return array (

                        'Africa' => array (

                                'Africa/Casablanca' => '[GMT+00:00] Western European Time (Africa/ Casablanca)',

                                'Africa/Algiers' => '[GMT+01:00] Central European Time (Africa/ Algiers)',

                                'Africa/Bangui' => '[GMT+01:00] Western African Time (Africa/ Bangui)',

                                'Africa/Windhoek' => '[GMT+01:00] Western African Time (Africa/ Windhoek)',

                                'Africa/Tripoli' => '[GMT+02:00] Eastern European Time (Africa/ Tripoli)',

                                'Africa/Johannesburg' => '[GMT+02:00] South Africa Standard Time (Africa/ Johannesburg)',

                                'Africa/Dar_es_Salaam' => '[GMT+03:00] Eastern African Time (EAT)',

                        ),

                        'America (North & South)' => array (

                                'America/Scoresbysund' => '[GMT-01:00] Eastern Greenland Time (America/ Scoresbysund)',

                                'America/Noronha' => '[GMT-02:00] Fernando de Noronha Time (America/ Noronha)',

                                'America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires' => '[GMT-03:00] Argentine Time (AGT)',

                                'America/Belem' => '[GMT-03:00] Brazil Time (America/ Belem)',

                                'America/Sao_Paulo' => '[GMT-03:00] Brazil Time (BET)',

                                'America/Cayenne' => '[GMT-03:00] French Guiana Time (America/ Cayenne)',

                                'America/Miquelon' => '[GMT-03:00] Pierre & Miquelon Standard Time (America/ Miquelon)',

                                'America/Paramaribo' => '[GMT-03:00] Suriname Time (America/ Paramaribo)',

                                'America/Montevideo' => '[GMT-03:00] Uruguay Time (America/ Montevideo)',

                                'America/Godthab' => '[GMT-03:00] Western Greenland Time (America/ Godthab)',

                                'America/St_Johns' => '[GMT-03:30] Newfoundland Standard Time (America/ St Johns)',

                                'America/Cuiaba' => '[GMT-04:00] Amazon Standard Time (America/ Cuiaba)',

                                'America/Glace_Bay' => '[GMT-04:00] Atlantic Standard Time (America/ Glace Bay)',

                                'America/La_Paz' => '[GMT-04:00] Bolivia Time (America/ La Paz)',

                                'America/Santiago' => '[GMT-04:00] Chile Time (America/ Santiago)',

                                'America/Guyana' => '[GMT-04:00] Guyana Time (America/ Guyana)',

                                'America/Asuncion' => '[GMT-04:00] Paraguay Time (America/ Asuncion)',

                                'America/Caracas' => '[GMT-04:00] Venezuela Time (America/ Caracas)',

                                'America/Porto_Acre' => '[GMT-05:00] Acre Time (America/ Porto Acre)',

                                'America/Havana' => '[GMT-05:00] Central Standard Time (America/ Havana)',

                                'America/Bogota' => '[GMT-05:00] Colombia Time (America/ Bogota)',

                                'America/Jamaica' => '[GMT-05:00] Eastern Standard Time (America/ Jamaica)',

                                'America/Indianapolis' => '[GMT-05:00] Eastern Standard Time (US/ East-Indiana)',

                                'America/Guayaquil' => '[GMT-05:00] Ecuador Time (America/ Guayaquil)',

                                'America/Lima' => '[GMT-05:00] Peru Time (America/ Lima)',

                                'America/El_Salvador' => '[GMT-06:00] Central Standard Time (America/ El Salvador)',

                                'America/Regina' => '[GMT-06:00] Central Standard Time (Canada/ Saskatchewan)',

                                'America/Chicago' => '[GMT-06:00] Central Standard Time (US & Canada)',

                                'America/Phoenix' => '[GMT-07:00] Mountain Standard Time (US/ Arizona)',

                                'America/Los_Angeles' => '[GMT-08:00] Pacific Standard Time (US & Canada)',

                                'America/Anchorage' => '[GMT-09:00] Alaska Standard Time (AST)',

                                'America/Adak' => '[GMT-10:00] Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (America/ Adak)',

                        ),

                        'Antarctica' => array (

                                'Antarctica/Syowa' => '[GMT+03:00] Syowa Time (Antarctica/ Syowa)',

                                'Antarctica/Mawson' => '[GMT+06:00] Mawson Time (Antarctica/ Mawson)',

                                'Antarctica/Vostok' => '[GMT+06:00] Vostok Time (Antarctica/ Vostok)',

                                'Antarctica/Davis' => '[GMT+07:00] Davis Time (Antarctica/ Davis)',

                                'Antarctica/DumontDUrville' => '[GMT+10:00] Dumont-d\'Urville Time (Antarctica/ DumontDUrville)',

                                'Antarctica/Rothera' => '[GMT-03:00] Rothera Time (Antarctica/ Rothera)',

                        ),

                        'Asia' => array (

                                'Asia/Jerusalem' => '[GMT+02:00] Israel Standard Time (Asia/ Jerusalem)',

                                'Asia/Baghdad' => '[GMT+03:00] Arabia Standard Time (Asia/ Baghdad)',

                                'Asia/Kuwait' => '[GMT+03:00] Arabia Standard Time (Asia/ Kuwait)',

                                'Asia/Tehran' => '[GMT+03:30] Iran Standard Time (Asia/ Tehran)',

                                'Asia/Aqtau' => '[GMT+04:00] Aqtau Time (Asia/ Aqtau)',

                                'Asia/Yerevan' => '[GMT+04:00] Armenia Time (NET)',

                                'Asia/Baku' => '[GMT+04:00] Azerbaijan Time (Asia/ Baku)',

                                'Asia/Tbilisi' => '[GMT+04:00] Georgia Time (Asia/ Tbilisi)',

                                'Asia/Dubai' => '[GMT+04:00] Gulf Standard Time (Asia/ Dubai)',

                                'Asia/Oral' => '[GMT+04:00] Oral Time (Asia/ Oral)',

                                'Asia/Kabul' => '[GMT+04:30] Afghanistan Time (Asia/ Kabul)',

                                'Asia/Aqtobe' => '[GMT+05:00] Aqtobe Time (Asia/ Aqtobe)',

                                'Asia/Bishkek' => '[GMT+05:00] Kirgizstan Time (Asia/ Bishkek)',

                                'Asia/Karachi' => '[GMT+05:00] Pakistan Time (PLT)',

                                'Asia/Dushanbe' => '[GMT+05:00] Tajikistan Time (Asia/ Dushanbe)',

                                'Asia/Ashgabat' => '[GMT+05:00] Turkmenistan Time (Asia/ Ashgabat)',

                                'Asia/Tashkent' => '[GMT+05:00] Uzbekistan Time (Asia/ Tashkent)',

                                'Asia/Yekaterinburg' => '[GMT+05:00] Yekaterinburg Time (Asia/ Yekaterinburg)',

                                'Asia/Katmandu' => '[GMT+05:45] Nepal Time (Asia/ Katmandu)',

                                'Asia/Almaty' => '[GMT+06:00] Alma-Ata Time (Asia/ Almaty)',

                                'Asia/Thimbu' => '[GMT+06:00] Bhutan Time (Asia/ Thimbu)',

                                'Asia/Novosibirsk' => '[GMT+06:00] Novosibirsk Time (Asia/ Novosibirsk)',

                                'Asia/Omsk' => '[GMT+06:00] Omsk Time (Asia/ Omsk)',

                                'Asia/Qyzylorda' => '[GMT+06:00] Qyzylorda Time (Asia/ Qyzylorda)',

                                'Asia/Colombo' => '[GMT+06:00] Sri Lanka Time (Asia/ Colombo)',

                                'Asia/Rangoon' => '[GMT+06:30] Myanmar Time (Asia/ Rangoon)',

                                'Asia/Hovd' => '[GMT+07:00] Hovd Time (Asia/ Hovd)',

                                'Asia/Krasnoyarsk' => '[GMT+07:00] Krasnoyarsk Time (Asia/ Krasnoyarsk)',

                                'Asia/Jakarta' => '[GMT+07:00] West Indonesia Time (Asia/ Jakarta)',

                                'Asia/Brunei' => '[GMT+08:00] Brunei Time (Asia/ Brunei)',

                                'Asia/Makassar' => '[GMT+08:00] Central Indonesia Time (Asia/ Makassar)',

                                'Asia/Hong_Kong' => '[GMT+08:00] Hong Kong Time (Asia/ Hong Kong)',

                                'Asia/Irkutsk' => '[GMT+08:00] Irkutsk Time (Asia/ Irkutsk)',

                                'Asia/Kuala_Lumpur' => '[GMT+08:00] Malaysia Time (Asia/ Kuala Lumpur)',

                                'Asia/Manila' => '[GMT+08:00] Philippines Time (Asia/ Manila)',

                                'Asia/Shanghai' => '[GMT+08:00] Shanghai Time (Asia/ Shanghai)',

                                'Asia/Singapore' => '[GMT+08:00] Singapore Time (Asia/ Singapore)',

                                'Asia/Taipei' => '[GMT+08:00] Taipei Time (Asia/ Taipei)',

                                'Asia/Ulaanbaatar' => '[GMT+08:00] Ulaanbaatar Time (Asia/ Ulaanbaatar)',

                                'Asia/Choibalsan' => '[GMT+09:00] Choibalsan Time (Asia/ Choibalsan)',

                                'Asia/Jayapura' => '[GMT+09:00] East Indonesia Time (Asia/ Jayapura)',

                                'Asia/Dili' => '[GMT+09:00] East Timor Time (Asia/ Dili)',

                                'Asia/Tokyo' => '[GMT+09:00] Japan Standard Time (JST)',

                                'Asia/Seoul' => '[GMT+09:00] Korea Standard Time (Asia/ Seoul)',

                                'Asia/Yakutsk' => '[GMT+09:00] Yakutsk Time (Asia/ Yakutsk)',

                                'Asia/Sakhalin' => '[GMT+10:00] Sakhalin Time (Asia/ Sakhalin)',

                                'Asia/Vladivostok' => '[GMT+10:00] Vladivostok Time (Asia/ Vladivostok)',

                                'Asia/Magadan' => '[GMT+11:00] Magadan Time (Asia/ Magadan)',

                                'Asia/Anadyr' => '[GMT+12:00] Anadyr Time (Asia/ Anadyr)',

                                'Asia/Kamchatka' => '[GMT+12:00] Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski Time (Asia/ Kamchatka)',

                        ),

                        'Atlantic Ocean' => array (

                                'Atlantic/Jan_Mayen' => '[GMT+01:00] Eastern Greenland Time (Atlantic/ Jan Mayen)',

                                'Atlantic/Azores' => '[GMT-01:00] Azores Time (Atlantic/ Azores)',

                                'Atlantic/Cape_Verde' => '[GMT-01:00] Cape Verde Time (Atlantic/ Cape Verde)',

                                'Atlantic/South_Georgia' => '[GMT-02:00] South Georgia Standard Time (Atlantic/ South Georgia)',

                                'Atlantic/Bermuda' => '[GMT-04:00] Atlantic Standard Time (Atlantic/ Bermuda)',

                                'Atlantic/Stanley' => '[GMT-04:00] Falkland Is. Time (Atlantic/ Stanley)',

                        ),

                        'Australia' => array (

                                'Australia/Perth' => '[GMT+08:00] Western Standard Time (Australia) (Australia/ Perth)',

                                'Australia/Broken_Hill' => '[GMT+09:30] Central Standard Time (Australia/ Broken Hill)',

                                'Australia/Darwin' => '[GMT+09:30] Central Standard Time (Northern Territory) (ACT)',

                                'Australia/Adelaide' => '[GMT+09:30] Central Standard Time (South Australia) (Australia/ Adelaide)',

                                'Australia/Sydney' => '[GMT+10:00] Eastern Standard Time (New South Wales) (Australia/ Sydney)',

                                'Australia/Brisbane' => '[GMT+10:00] Eastern Standard Time (Queensland) (Australia/ Brisbane)',

                                'Australia/Hobart' => '[GMT+10:00] Eastern Standard Time (Tasmania) (Australia/ Hobart)',

                                'Australia/Melbourne' => '[GMT+10:00] Eastern Standard Time (Victoria) (Australia/ Melbourne)',

                                'Australia/Lord_Howe' => '[GMT+10:30] Load Howe Standard Time (Australia/ Lord Howe)',

                        ),

                        'Europe' => array (

                                'Europe/Lisbon' => '[GMT+00:00] Western European Time (Europe/ Lisbon)',

                                'Europe/Berlin' => '[GMT+01:00] Central European Time (Europe/ Berlin)',

                                'Europe/Istanbul' => '[GMT+02:00] Eastern European Time (Europe/ Istanbul)',

                                'Europe/Moscow' => '[GMT+03:00] Moscow Standard Time (Europe/ Moscow)',

                                'Europe/Samara' => '[GMT+04:00] Samara Time (Europe/ Samara)',

                        ),

                        'Indian' => array (

                                'Indian/Mauritius' => '[GMT+04:00] Mauritius Time (Indian/ Mauritius)',

                                'Indian/Reunion' => '[GMT+04:00] Reunion Time (Indian/ Reunion)',

                                'Indian/Mahe' => '[GMT+04:00] Seychelles Time (Indian/ Mahe)',

                                'Indian/Kerguelen' => '[GMT+05:00] French Southern & Antarctic Lands Time (Indian/ Kerguelen)',

                                'Indian/Maldives' => '[GMT+05:00] Maldives Time (Indian/ Maldives)',

                                'Indian/Chagos' => '[GMT+06:00] Indian Ocean Territory Time (Indian/ Chagos)',

                                'Indian/Cocos' => '[GMT+06:30] Cocos Islands Time (Indian/ Cocos)',

                                'Indian/Christmas' => '[GMT+07:00] Christmas Island Time (Indian/ Christmas)',

                        ),

                        'Pacific Ocean' => array (

                                'Pacific/Palau' => '[GMT+09:00] Palau Time (Pacific/ Palau)',

                                'Pacific/Guam' => '[GMT+10:00] Chamorro Standard Time (Pacific/ Guam)',

                                'Pacific/Port_Moresby' => '[GMT+10:00] Papua New Guinea Time (Pacific/ Port Moresby)',

                                'Pacific/Truk' => '[GMT+10:00] Truk Time (Pacific/ Truk)',

                                'Pacific/Yap' => '[GMT+10:00] Yap Time (Pacific/ Yap)',

                                'Pacific/Kosrae' => '[GMT+11:00] Kosrae Time (Pacific/ Kosrae)',

                                'Pacific/Noumea' => '[GMT+11:00] New Caledonia Time (Pacific/ Noumea)',

                                'Pacific/Ponape' => '[GMT+11:00] Ponape Time (Pacific/ Ponape)',

                                'Pacific/Efate' => '[GMT+11:00] Vanuatu Time (Pacific/ Efate)',

                                'Pacific/Norfolk' => '[GMT+11:30] Norfolk Time (Pacific/ Norfolk)',

                                'Pacific/Fiji' => '[GMT+12:00] Fiji Time (Pacific/ Fiji)',

                                'Pacific/Tarawa' => '[GMT+12:00] Gilbert Is. Time (Pacific/ Tarawa)',

                                'Pacific/Majuro' => '[GMT+12:00] Marshall Islands Time (Pacific/ Majuro)',

                                'Pacific/Nauru' => '[GMT+12:00] Nauru Time (Pacific/ Nauru)',

                                'Pacific/Auckland' => '[GMT+12:00] New Zealand Standard Time (Pacific/ Auckland)',

                                'Pacific/Funafuti' => '[GMT+12:00] Tuvalu Time (Pacific/ Funafuti)',

                                'Pacific/Wake' => '[GMT+12:00] Wake Time (Pacific/ Wake)',

                                'Pacific/Wallis' => '[GMT+12:00] Wallis & Futuna Time (Pacific/ Wallis)',

                                'Pacific/Chatham' => '[GMT+12:45] Chatham Standard Time (Pacific/ Chatham)',

                                'Pacific/Enderbury' => '[GMT+13:00] Phoenix Is. Time (Pacific/ Enderbury)',

                                'Pacific/Tongatapu' => '[GMT+13:00] Tonga Time (Pacific/ Tongatapu)',

                                'Pacific/Kiritimati' => '[GMT+14:00] Line Is. Time (Pacific/ Kiritimati)',

                                'Pacific/Easter' => '[GMT-06:00] Easter Is. Time (Pacific/ Easter)',

                                'Pacific/Galapagos' => '[GMT-06:00] Galapagos Time (Pacific/ Galapagos)',

                                'Pacific/Pitcairn' => '[GMT-08:00] Pitcairn Standard Time (Pacific/ Pitcairn)',

                                'Pacific/Gambier' => '[GMT-09:00] Gambier Time (Pacific/ Gambier)',

                                'Pacific/Marquesas' => '[GMT-09:30] Marquesas Time (Pacific/ Marquesas)',

                                'Pacific/Rarotonga' => '[GMT-10:00] Cook Is. Time (Pacific/ Rarotonga)',

                                'Pacific/Tahiti' => '[GMT-10:00] Tahiti Time (Pacific/ Tahiti)',

                                'Pacific/Fakaofo' => '[GMT-10:00] Tokelau Time (Pacific/ Fakaofo)',

                                'Pacific/Niue' => '[GMT-11:00] Niue Time (Pacific/ Niue)',

                                'Pacific/Apia' => '[GMT-11:00] West Samoa Time (MIT)',

                        ),

                );

        }

Also found some Javascript to try to detect the user’s current timezone. Useful to set default value in the dropDownList: https://bitbucket.org/pellepim/jstimezonedetect/wiki/Home