Bug: Model does not update `created_at` column

[kenjis]

PHP Version

8.1

CodeIgniter4 Version

4.4.3 and develop 1d6b7ac

CodeIgniter4 Installation Method

Git

Which operating systems have you tested for this bug?

macOS

Which server did you use?

cli

Database

n/a

What happened?

The following test fails:

<?php

namespace CodeIgniter\Models;

use Tests\Support\Models\UserTimestampModel;

/**
 * @group DatabaseLive
 *
 * @internal
 */
final class TimestampModelTest extends LiveModelTestCase
{
    protected $migrate     = true;
    protected $migrateOnce = true;
    protected $refresh     = false;
    protected $seed        = '';

    private function prepareOneRecord(): void
    {
        $this->createModel(UserTimestampModel::class);
        $this->db->table('user')->truncate();

        $data = [
            'name'       => 'John Smith',
            'email'      => 'john@example.com',
            'country'    => 'US',
            'created_at' => '2000-01-01 12:00:00',
            'updated_at' => '2000-01-01 12:00:00',
        ];
        $this->model->insert($data);
    }

    public function testUpdateArrayUpdates UpdatedAt(): void
    {
        $this->prepareOneRecord();

        $user = $this->model->find(1);

        $user['country'] = 'CA';
        $this->model->update($user['id'], $user);

        $user = $this->model->find(1);

        $this->assertNotSame('', $user['updated_at']);
        $this->assertNotSame($user['created_at'], $user['updated_at']);
    }
}

<?php

namespace Tests\Support\Models;

use CodeIgniter\Model;

class UserTimestampModel extends Model
{
    protected $table         = 'user';
    protected $allowedFields = [
        'name',
        'email',
        'country',
        'created_at',
        'updated_at',
        'deleted_at',
    ];
    protected $returnType     = 'array';
    protected $useSoftDeletes = true;
    protected $useTimestamps  = true;
    protected $dateFormat     = 'datetime';
}

Steps to Reproduce

Run test above.

Expected Output

The test passes.

Anything else?

$useTimestamps
This boolean value determines whether the current date is automatically added to all inserts and updates. If true, will set the current time in the format specified by $dateFormat.
https://codeigniter4.github.io/CodeIgniter4/models/model.html#dates

[kenjis]

Is this not a bug?

the current date is automatically added to all inserts and updates.

[lonnieezell]

I'm on my phone so can't look at the original code right now but here's my view:

• created_at should be updated only on inserts, and only if the existing data doesn't have any value in created at. You might need to insert some old data and not lose the existing creation date.
• updated at should always be updated for both inserts and updates. It could be argued that if it has an existing updated date we should respect that, and I would be ok with that.

[kenjis]

No problem. The code was wrong. I've fixed.

The issue is:

• If we pass an array data with update_at to Model, the update_at column is not changed.
• If we pass an Entity with update_at to Model, the update_at column is updated.

This is because Entity uses onlyChanged.

The following test passes:

    public function testUpdateEntityUpdatesUpdatedAt(): void
    {
        $this->createModel(UserTimestampModel::class);
        $this->setPrivateProperty($this->model, 'returnType', User::class);
        $this->setPrivateProperty($this->model, 'tempReturnType', User::class);
        $this->db->table('user')->truncate();

        $data = [
            'name'       => 'John Smith',
            'email'      => 'john@example.com',
            'country'    => 'US',
            'created_at' => '2000-01-01 12:00:00',
            'updated_at' => '2000-01-01 12:00:00',
        ];
        $this->model->insert($data);

        $user = $this->model->find(1);

        $user->country = 'CA';
        $this->model->update($user->id, $user);

        $user = $this->model->find(1);

        $this->assertNotSame('', $user->updated_at);
        $this->assertNotSame($user->created_at, $user->updated_at);
    }

[kenjis]

This is complicated because $allowedFields effects.

The normal use case is not to add created_at and updated_at to $allowedFields, so these fields are removed, resulting in the date and time being automatically set or updated even if they are passed. Therefore there is no problem.

You might need to insert some old data and not lose the existing creation date.

In this case, we need to add created_at to $allowedFields, and there seems no problem.

if it has an existing updated date we should respect that, and I would be ok with that.

In this case, we need to add updated_at to $allowedFields, and if Entity is used and updated_at is not changed, the passed updated_at dates will not be respected. But if we want to change updated_at date, we would change the value in Entity, so there seems no problem.

In the end, the current Model behavior seems to be no problem.

[kenjis]

I sent PR to add tests: #8249

[lonnieezell]

You're right. I wasn't thinking about allowed fields. If they need to add old data like that they can always do it directly through a builder instance.