Zend Framework: Zend_Date_TimeSpan Component Proposal

Table of Contents

1. Overview

Zend_Date_TimeSpan is a simple but useful component which can be used to quickly calculate the length of time between two different times. It already exists in the .NET framework and is used a lot in calender type functions. It provides a very readable interface and would help avoid the need for developers to explicitly write date difference functions/code as the TimeSpan class would encapsulate this functionality. It is also intended that this class be fully extensible so that developers can override methods at will.

2. References

• Microsoft .NET TimeSpan

3. Component Requirements, Constraints, and Acceptance Criteria

• This component will return the difference between two Zend_Date objects as the total number of days or hours or minutes or seconds or milliseconds.
• This component will return the days only difference between two Zend_Date objects.
• This component will return the hours only difference between two Zend_Date objects.
• This component will return the minutes only difference between two Zend_Date objects.
• This component will return the seconds only difference between two Zend_Date objects.
• This component will return the milliseconds only difference between two Zend_Date objects.
• It will be possible to add/subtract a number of days, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds to/from a Zend_Date_TimeSpan object.
• It will be possible to compare two instances of a Zend_Date_TimeSpan object.
• This component will allow subclassing.

4. Dependencies on Other Framework Components

• Zend_Date
• Zend_Exception

5. Theory of Operation

The component is instantiated with two Zend_Date objects or alternatively a single number of milliseconds.

6. Milestones / Tasks

As already stated this is a simple component and should not take very long to implement. It is basically a port of the .NET TimeSpan structure and I don't anticipate a long development cycle.

• Milestone 1: Submit proposal [DONE]
• Milestone 2: Check in working draft class
• Milestone 3: Add documentation

7. Class Index

• Zend_Date_TimeSpan

8. Use Cases

9. Class Skeletons