text_datetime_timestamp_timezone field returns wrong datetime object

[mklasen]

Describe the bug

When using the text_datetime_timestamp_timezone field, setting a date, time and timezone, the saved Datetime object returns the wrong date.

Example:

• I set 20/10/2022 at 03:00PM Europe/Amsterdam
• The saved object contains: 20/10/2022 at 05:00PM Europe/Amsterdam

Steps to reproduce:

1. Go to https://gist.github.com/mklasen/7931140ed5499abf7dc8207ab6df40f8
2. Copy the code into a plugin file
3. Create a new post, set a date, time and timezone
4. See the output below the field

Screenshots

CMB2 Field Registration Code:

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: CMB2 text_datetime_timestamp_timezone Test
 */

add_action(
	'cmb2_admin_init',
	function() {

		$details = new_cmb2_box(
			array(
				'id'           => 'cmb2_test',
				'title'        => __( 'Details', 'cmb2' ),
				'object_types' => array( 'post' ),
			)
		);

		$details->add_field(
			array(
				'name'        => 'Date',
				'type'        => 'text_datetime_timestamp_timezone',
				'id'          => 'date',
				'after_field' => function() {
					$serialized_date = get_post_meta( get_the_ID(), 'date', true );
					if ( ! empty( $serialized_date ) ) {
						$date = maybe_unserialize( $serialized_date );
						echo '<br><br>Date/Time: ' . $date->format( get_option( 'date_format' ) . ' ' . get_option( 'time_format' ) . ' e' ) . '<br>';

					}
				},
			)
		);

	}
);

Your Environment

Ubuntu, when running date in terminal results in: Tue Oct 18 15:11:45 UTC 2022

Additional context

I read some other issues that mention this field, but don't think they are related to what I am experiencing here.

[tw2113]

Have you confirmed your WordPress timezone settings are matching what you're expecting for things? From /wp-admin/options-general.php ?

[mklasen]

Hmm, I would expect this setting to be unrelated? Let me run some tests though..

Also: updated the code sample so it doesn't fail on first load (forgot to check if post meta value was empty)

With UTC+0:

With Europe/Amsterdam and new post with new date/time/timezone:

When saving with UTC:

[mdibrahimk48]

Good work!

[tw2113]

I also wonder if the server's settings are playing a part in this, not just WP's timezone

[mklasen]

Even if it does, I don't think it should. I'll have to admit though, I always get confused with timezones.

date returns Wed Oct 19 14:17:24 UTC 2022 in my container at the this moment.

When using the text_datetime_timestamp_timezone field, I would imagine CMB2 creates a new Datetime object, with the timezone set to the timezone specified by the user, based on UTC time (which seems correct).

@tw2113 @mdibrahimk48 - are you able to reproduce this? If not, then obviously something is wrong with my environment.

[mklasen]

Ah, I just realized CMB2 also saves a UTC timestamp, so we can get the right results, see below:

				'after_field' => function() {
					$serialized_date = get_post_meta( get_the_ID(), 'date', true );
					$utc_date = get_post_meta( get_the_ID(), 'date_utc', true );

					if ( ! empty( $utc_date ) ) {

						$utc_date_object = new Datetime();
						$utc_date_object->setTimestamp( $utc_date );
						echo '<br><br><strong>Date/Time from UTC saved date:</strong><br/> ' . $utc_date_object->format( get_option( 'date_format' ) . ' ' . get_option( 'time_format' ) . ' e' ) . '<br>';

						$utc_date_object->setTimezone( new DateTimeZone( wp_timezone_string() ) );
						echo '<br><br><strong>Date/Time from UTC saved date in current timezone:</strong><br/> ' . $utc_date_object->format( get_option( 'date_format' ) . ' ' . get_option( 'time_format' ) . ' e' ) . '<br>';
					}

					if ( ! empty( $serialized_date ) ) {
						$date = maybe_unserialize( $serialized_date );
						echo '<br><br><strong>Date/Time from saved object:</strong><br/> ' . $date->format( get_option( 'date_format' ) . ' ' . get_option( 'time_format' ) . ' e' ) . '<br>';
					}
				},

[tw2113]

I'd need to set up and confirm all parts in the local environment to confirm. However it sounds like you may have a way forward at the moment.

[mklasen]

Yes, using the saved UTC date does work. I'll dig into this a bit later and submit a PR.

[deltafactory]

Throwing my experience into the mix. Testing on a dev server/site where the site TZ is set to America/Los Angeles. I don't think the server's TZ is factoring in.

The date_utc value is correct but obviously has no TZ reference.
The serialized DateTime object is incorrect: the time value saved is based on the specified time and then offsets it based on the selected timezone. Example:

Date: 12/2/2022
Time: 12:00AM
TZ: Los Angeles

DateTime object:
O:8:"DateTime":3:{s:4:"date";s:26:"2022-12-01 16:00:00.000000";s:13:"timezone_type";i:3;s:8:"timezone";s:19:"America/Los_Angeles";}

I believe that the "date" should be "2022-12-02 00:00:00.000000"

The confusing bit is that the UI is correctly displaying the originally selected time. That is addressed by this line.

I see a few possible areas to address this but not without disrupting existing users of the text_datetime_timestamp field. I haven't looked at the pull request yet.

[mklasen]

Yup, I realized the same thing - discarding the serialized object and using UTC only works, but that solution wouldn't follow CMB2 standards at all.

@jtsternberg and I agreed on updating the docs to clarify the UTC value is the right one to use in #1468.