# Working With Dates

## Working with Dates (and Timezones)

First of all the constructor:

```javascript
new Date()
```

…will make the same date no matter what timezone you are in.

So if you do `new Date()` in The Netherlands and at the same time somebody else does `new Date()` in USA, then that is the exact same date. Both represent the time in milliseconds after 1970 in UTC. This is called **Unix Time**.

The only thing that makes it look different is when you print or format it. The `toString()` of a date already formats it, so it shows the date and timezone you are currently in. But this does **not** mean that Dates have a timezone — that is not correct.

***

### Constructors

```javascript
new Date(year, month[, day[, hour[, minutes[, seconds[, milliseconds]]]]]);
```

Those arguments are then in your timezone. Just like formatting a string with `"yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm"` using your timezone in the formatter.

There is also:

```javascript
Date.UTC(year, month, date, hrs, min, sec, ms)
```

This function returns the milliseconds in UTC (you can wrap this in `new Date(number)`). So if you pass `hrs = 10` and you are in `+2`, then the date in your timezone will be 12.

***

### Local vs Server Time in Servoy

In Servoy the problem arises when you call methods like `Date#getHours()` because they use **local time**.

* The server could be in timezone `+2`
* The client could be in timezone `+3`
* Servoy code runs on the server, so `getHours()` will reflect the server's timezone (same as `toString()`).

***

#### Example: Local or UTC Time with `getHours()`

```javascript
var date1 = new Date(2019,10,1,12);
var date2 = new Date(Date.UTC(2019,10,1,12));

application.output(date1);
application.output(date2);
application.output(date1.getHours());
application.output(date2.getHours());
```

Output:

* `date1` prints `12` in both cases (constructed for local time).
* If you are in `+1`, then `date2` prints `13` because UTC 12 is 13 in Amsterdam.

⚠️ But this is always based on the server timezone, not the client (which may be different again).

***

### Getting the Client's Hours (NGClient and SmartClient)

You can use:

```javascript
application.output(utils.dateFormat(date1, "HH"));
```

This uses the client's timezone (from the browser).

Example:

* Server in `+1`
* NGClient in `+2`
* The code prints `13`, since `12:00` in the server's timezone is `13:00` in the client's.

***

### Use as LocalDateTime

In NGClient, the **Use as LocalDateTime** option (date format dialog) controls how dates are sent.

* **Default (unchecked):**\
  Sent as ISO-8601 with timezone, e.g.\
  `2019-11-01T12:00:00+01:00` (server in +1).\
  Client in `+2` shows it as `2019-11-01 13:00`.\
  (Milliseconds don't change — purely formatting.)
* **Checked (Use as LocalDateTime):**\
  Sent without timezone, e.g.\
  `2019-11-01T12:00:00`\
  Client assumes it's in its timezone and shows `2019-11-01 12:00`.

⚠️ Problem: now the milliseconds **do** change, since the date was shifted by the difference between server and client timezone.

***

### `application.getTimeStamp()`

If you are using **Use as LocalDateTime**, you may need a date that represents "now" on the client.

* `new Date()` on the server (timezone `+1`) could give `2019-11-28 23:00`.
* `application.getTimeStamp()` in the client (timezone `+2`) would give `2019-11-29 00:00`.

This ensures the date matches the client's actual local "now."

***

### Searching Between Dates

When searching (e.g. "everything from yesterday"), you need dates relative to the **client's** timezone.

Example in `+2`:

```javascript
var startDate = utils.parseDate("2019-11-28 00:00", "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm", null);
var endDate   = utils.parseDate("2019-11-28 23:59", "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm", null);
```

* The `null` argument (new in Servoy 2019.12) tells it to use the client's timezone.
* If you omit it, the server timezone is used.

Server in `+1`, client in `+2` would produce:

```
Wed Nov 27 23:00:00 CET 2019
Thu Nov 28 22:59:00 CET 2019
```

If sent back to the client (with *Use as LocalDateTime = false*), the browser adds back the difference (1 hour), so the date correctly represents the client's "yesterday."