form_datetime_local()
function form_datetime_local(string $name, ?string $value = null, array $attributes = []): string
Description
Generates an HTML datetime-local input field with a native browser date and time picker. The input combines date and time selection in a single control and always submits in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM).
Browser Display vs Submitted Format: Browsers display datetime-local inputs according to user locale, but always submit in consistent ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM) that your PHP code can rely on.
Demonstration
Below is the native HTML5 date and time input rendered by form_datetime_local():
The following helper functions handle bidirectional conversion between
MySQL DATETIME values and HTML datetime-local inputs.
Use them whenever loading values from the database or preparing form submissions for storage.
function mysql_to_datetime_local(?string $mysql_datetime): string {
if (empty($mysql_datetime) || $mysql_datetime === '0000-00-00 00:00:00') {
return '';
}
return str_replace(' ', 'T', substr($mysql_datetime, 0, 16));
}
function datetime_local_to_mysql(?string $datetime_local): string {
if (empty($datetime_local)) {
return '';
}
return str_replace('T', ' ', $datetime_local) . ':00';
}
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description | Default | Required |
|---|
| $name |
string |
The name attribute for the input element |
N/A |
Yes |
| $value |
string|null |
The datetime value in YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM format |
null |
No |
| $attributes |
array |
Additional HTML attributes as key-value pairs |
[] |
No |
Return Value
| Type | Description |
|---|
| string | The generated HTML datetime-local input element |
Understanding the Attributes Array
The $attributes array accepts standard HTML input attributes. For datetime-local inputs, these are particularly useful:
| Attribute | Description | Example Value |
|---|
min |
Earliest selectable datetime (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM) |
'2025-01-01T09:00' |
max |
Latest selectable datetime (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM) |
'2025-12-31T17:00' |
step |
Time interval in seconds |
900 (15 minutes) |
required |
Field must have a value |
['required' => true] |
readonly |
Prevent user editing |
['readonly' => true] |
disabled |
Disable the input |
['disabled' => true] |
Boolean Attributes: Pass true for boolean attributes like required, readonly, or disabled. This generates clean HTML5 syntax: <input required>
Example #1: Basic DateTime-Local Input
public function create(): void {
$data['form_location'] = BASE_URL . 'events/submit';
$this->view('event_form', $data);
}
View file:
<?php
echo form_open($form_location);
echo form_label('Event Start');
echo form_datetime_local('event_start');
echo form_submit('submit', 'Schedule Event');
echo form_close();
?>
Output:
<input type="datetime-local" name="event_start">
Example #2: DateTime-Local Input with Value and Constraints
public function create(): void {
$data['event_start'] = post('event_start', true);
// Business hours constraints: Mon-Fri, 9 AM - 5 PM, starting next week
$data['min_datetime'] = date('Y-m-d', strtotime('next monday')) . 'T09:00';
$data['max_datetime'] = date('Y-m-d', strtotime('next friday')) . 'T17:00';
$data['form_location'] = BASE_URL . 'events/submit';
$this->view('event_form', $data);
}
View file:
<?php
echo form_open($form_location);
echo form_label('Event Start');
$attributes = [
'min' => $min_datetime,
'max' => $max_datetime,
'step' => 1800, // 30-minute intervals
'required' => true
];
echo form_datetime_local('event_start', $event_start, $attributes);
echo form_submit('submit', 'Schedule Event');
echo form_close();
?>
The example above demonstrates the standard Trongate pattern for form repopulation with datetime constraints. Users can only select datetimes within business hours next week, in 30-minute intervals.
Form Repopulation: After validation errors, use post('field_name', true) in the controller to fetch the submitted value. This returns an empty string if no value was submitted.
Example #3: Storing DateTime-Local in Database
public function create(): void {
$data['appointment_time'] = post('appointment_time', true);
$data['form_location'] = BASE_URL . 'appointments/submit';
$this->view('appointment_form', $data);
}
public function submit(): void {
$this->validation->set_rules('patient_name', 'patient name', 'required');
$this->validation->set_rules('appointment_time', 'appointment time', 'required|valid_datetime_local');
if ($this->validation->run() === true) {
$data['patient_name'] = post('patient_name', true);
// Convert from YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM to YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
$datetime_from_form = post('appointment_time', true);
$data['appointment_time'] = str_replace('T', ' ', $datetime_from_form) . ':00';
$this->db->insert($data, 'appointments');
set_flashdata('Appointment scheduled successfully');
redirect('appointments/manage');
} else {
$this->create();
}
}
The example above shows the required conversion when storing datetime-local values. The form submits 2025-12-27T14:30, which must be converted to 2025-12-27 14:30:00 for MySQL's DATETIME column.
Format Conversion: Replace the "T" with a space and append ":00" for seconds. This converts the ISO 8601 datetime-local format to MySQL's DATETIME format.
Example #4: Complete Create/Update Pattern with DateTime Conversion
public function create(): void {
$update_id = segment(3, 'int');
if ($update_id > 0 && REQUEST_TYPE === 'GET') {
// Editing existing record
$record = $this->db->get_where($update_id, 'events');
$data['event_title'] = $record->event_title;
// Convert from YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS to YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM
$datetime_from_db = $record->event_start;
$data['event_start'] = str_replace(' ', 'T', substr($datetime_from_db, 0, 16));
} else {
// New record or validation error
$data['event_title'] = post('event_title', true);
$data['event_start'] = post('event_start', true);
}
$data['form_location'] = BASE_URL . 'events/submit/' . $update_id;
$this->view('event_form', $data);
}
public function submit(): void {
$update_id = segment(3, 'int');
$this->validation->set_rules('event_title', 'event title', 'required');
$this->validation->set_rules('event_start', 'event start', 'required|valid_datetime_local');
if ($this->validation->run() === true) {
$data['event_title'] = post('event_title', true);
// Convert for database storage
$datetime_from_form = post('event_start', true);
$data['event_start'] = str_replace('T', ' ', $datetime_from_form) . ':00';
if ($update_id > 0) {
$this->db->update($update_id, $data, 'events');
set_flashdata('Event updated successfully');
} else {
$this->db->insert($data, 'events');
set_flashdata('Event created successfully');
}
redirect('events/manage');
} else {
$this->create();
}
}
The example above demonstrates bidirectional conversion: when loading from the database, remove seconds and replace space with "T". When saving to the database, replace "T" with space and add ":00".
Model Helper Methods: For applications with many datetime-local fields, consider creating reusable conversion methods in your model to keep controllers clean and conversions consistent.