Date & Time Helpers

Lightweight helpers for date operations, plus the global now() / today() shortcuts.

use Zero\Lib\Support\DateTime;

Implementation: DateTime.php, legacy Date.php.

`DateTime` (immutable, preferred)

Built on DateTimeImmutable — every mutation returns a new instance.

`DateTime::now(?DateTimeZone $tz = null): self`

$now = DateTime::now();
$jakarta = DateTime::now(new DateTimeZone('Asia/Jakarta'));

`DateTime::parse(string $datetime, ?DateTimeZone $tz = null): self`

Parses any string supported by PHP's DateTimeImmutable — relative ("yesterday", "next monday") or absolute ("2026-04-25 12:00").

$cutoff   = DateTime::parse('2026-04-25');
$tomorrow = DateTime::parse('tomorrow');
$paris    = DateTime::parse('today 12:00', new DateTimeZone('Europe/Paris'));

`->addDays(int $days): self`

$deadline = DateTime::now()->addDays(3);

`->subDays(int $days): self`

$weekAgo = DateTime::now()->subDays(7);

`->diffForHumans(DateTimeInterface $other): string`

Human-readable difference, e.g. "2 hours ago", "5 days from now".

echo DateTime::now()->addDays(3)->diffForHumans(DateTime::now()); // "3 days from now"

`->inTimeZone(string|DateTimeZone $tz): self`

Return a clone converted to another timezone.

$utc = DateTime::now()->inTimeZone('UTC');

DateTime extends DateTimeImmutable, so PHP's standard methods (format, getTimestamp, etc.) all work:

DateTime::now()->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
DateTime::now()->getTimestamp();

`Date` (legacy mutable wrapper)

Kept for backwards compatibility. New code should prefer DateTime. The framework also exposes Zero\Lib\Date as an alias of this class.

`Date::now(?DateTimeZone $tz = null): self`

$now = Date::now();

`Date::parse(string $time, ?DateTimeZone $tz = null): self`

$date = Date::parse('next friday');

`->addDays(int $days): self`

$next = Date::now()->addDays(7);

`->subtractDays(int $days): self`

Note the legacy spelling — subtractDays, not subDays.

$before = Date::now()->subtractDays(7);

`->format(string $format = DateTime::ATOM): string`

Date::now()->format('Y-m-d');     // '2026-04-25'
Date::now()->format();            // ATOM, e.g. '2026-04-25T12:34:56+07:00'

`->toDateTime(): \DateTime`

Drop down to the native PHP \DateTime instance.

$native = Date::now()->toDateTime();

`->diffForHumans(self $other): string`

$past = Date::parse('yesterday');
echo Date::now()->diffForHumans($past); // "1 day from now"

`->setTimeZone(string|DateTimeZone $tz): self`

$jakarta = Date::now()->setTimeZone('Asia/Jakarta');

Global helpers

Defined in Support/Helper.php.

`now(): Date`

$now = now();              // Date instance
$tomorrow = now()->addDays(1);

`today(): Date`

Date instance for the start of today.

$today = today();

See helpers.md for the full list of global helpers.

Date & Time Helpers

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