created_at and updated_at returns as string on first() but mongodate on create()

[bitinn]

we ran into this while writing a test to compare the object inserted with create and the object retrieved via get, this particular difference show up:

Failed asserting that two objects are equal.
--- Expected
+++ Actual
@@ @@
         'parent' => Array (...)
-        'updated_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
-        'created_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
+        'updated_at' => '2013-12-11 10:01:12'
+        'created_at' => '2013-12-11 10:01:12'
     )
     'original' => Array (
         'slug' => 'test.duplicate'
         'parent' => Array (...)
-        'updated_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
-        'created_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
+        'updated_at' => '2013-12-11 10:01:12'
+        'created_at' => '2013-12-11 10:01:12'
     )

it seems create return them as MongoDate while first return them as string.

Is this an issue with laravel? or can we do something to avoid this behaviour? we are using laravel 4.0.x codebase.

[alexandre-butynski]

I have met this issue. It generally happens when the assertion fail. If your dates are equals, the assertion will pass but, if there is a difference between the need and the result, PHPUnit will show this kind of error message.

I bet that your dates are not the same, without any consideration of format.

[jenssegers]

Can you show me the test code that produced the error?

[bitinn]

the test code:

    public function setUp()
    {
        parent::setUp();

        $this->model = new Model();
        $this->cache = $this->model->create(array(
            'slug' => 'test.data',
            'parent' => array('test.data.parent'),
        ));
    }

    public function tearDown()
    {
        parent::tearDown();

        $this->model->deleteById($this->cache->id);
    }

    public function testGetBySlug()
    {
        $data = $this->model->getBySlug($this->cache->slug);

        $this->assertEquals($this->cache, $data);
    }

ps: should note that i got an accessor alias $model->id (will return _id as string)

alexandre were partially right, initially we didn't setup the tearDown properly so the date didn't match, but now it does, and error still appear.

1) MongoCategoryTest::testGetBySlug
Failed asserting that two objects are equal.
--- Expected
+++ Actual
@@ @@
         'parent' => Array (...)
-        'updated_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
-        'created_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
+        'updated_at' => '2013-12-11 18:08:06'
+        'created_at' => '2013-12-11 18:08:06'
         '_id' => '52a8aa06fd029a720b8b456a'
     )
     'original' => Array (
         'slug' => 'test.data'
         'parent' => Array (...)
-        'updated_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
-        'created_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
+        'updated_at' => '2013-12-11 18:08:06'
+        'created_at' => '2013-12-11 18:08:06'
         '_id' => '52a8aa06fd029a720b8b456a'
     )

if we var_dump these 2 created_at value (before assertEquals), they are converted to the same carbon date:

object(Carbon\Carbon)#3595 (3) {
  ["date"]=>
  string(19) "2013-12-11 18:08:06"
  ["timezone_type"]=>
  int(3)
  ["timezone"]=>
  string(3) "UTC"
}
object(Carbon\Carbon)#3595 (3) {
  ["date"]=>
  string(19) "2013-12-11 18:08:06"
  ["timezone_type"]=>
  int(3)
  ["timezone"]=>
  string(3) "UTC"
}

[bitinn]

tried this some more, even toArray() or toJson() seems to return weird result when using the object returned by create() (i expect toArray convert MongoDate to array, and toJson should not encode object directly):

1) MongoCategoryTest::testGetBySlug
Failed asserting that two arrays are equal.
--- Expected
+++ Actual
@@ @@
 Array (
     'slug' => 'test.data.slug'
     'parent' => Array (...)
     'meta' => Array (...)
     '_id' => 'test.data.custom.id'
-    'updated_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
-    'created_at' => MongoDate Object (...)
+    'updated_at' => '2013-12-12 07:31:01'
+    'created_at' => '2013-12-12 07:31:01'
 )

...


1) MongoCategoryTest::testGetBySlug
Failed asserting that two strings are equal.
--- Expected
+++ Actual
@@ @@
-'{"slug":"test.data.slug","parent":["test.data.parent"],"meta":{"main":false},"_id":"test.data.custom.id","updated_at":{"sec":1386833658,"usec":542000},"created_at":{"sec":1386833658,"usec":542000}}'
+'{"_id":"test.data.custom.id","slug":"test.data.slug","parent":["test.data.parent"],"meta":{"main":false},"updated_at":"2013-12-12 07:34:18","created_at":"2013-12-12 07:34:18"}'

dumping the toArray() result, as well as the object in mongodb

//create()

object(Models\Mongo\MongoCategory)#3598 (23) {
  ["collection":protected]=>
  string(16) "leaf.v2.category"
  ["connection":protected]=>
  string(7) "mongodb"
  ["fillable":protected]=>
  array(8) {
    [0]=>
    string(3) "_id"
    [1]=>
    string(4) "slug"
    [2]=>
    string(4) "name"
    [3]=>
    string(6) "parent"
    [4]=>
    string(5) "alias"
    [5]=>
    string(5) "count"
    [6]=>
    string(5) "ngram"
    [7]=>
    string(4) "meta"
  }
  ["rules":protected]=>
  array(2) {
    ["slug"]=>
    string(45) "required|min:1|max:32|unique:leaf.v2.category"
    ["name"]=>
    string(12) "min:1|max:64"
  }
  ["error":protected]=>
  NULL
  ["options":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["primaryKey":protected]=>
  string(3) "_id"
  ["table":protected]=>
  NULL
  ["perPage":protected]=>
  int(15)
  ["incrementing"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["timestamps"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["attributes":protected]=>
  array(6) {
    ["slug"]=>
    string(14) "test.data.slug"
    ["parent"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      string(16) "test.data.parent"
    }
    ["meta"]=>
    array(1) {
      ["main"]=>
      bool(false)
    }
    ["_id"]=>
    string(19) "test.data.custom.id"
    ["updated_at"]=>
    object(MongoDate)#3607 (2) {
      ["sec"]=>
      int(1386834294)
      ["usec"]=>
      int(655000)
    }
    ["created_at"]=>
    object(MongoDate)#3607 (2) {
      ["sec"]=>
      int(1386834294)
      ["usec"]=>
      int(655000)
    }
  }
  ["original":protected]=>
  array(6) {
    ["slug"]=>
    string(14) "test.data.slug"
    ["parent"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      string(16) "test.data.parent"
    }
    ["meta"]=>
    array(1) {
      ["main"]=>
      bool(false)
    }
    ["_id"]=>
    string(19) "test.data.custom.id"
    ["updated_at"]=>
    object(MongoDate)#3607 (2) {
      ["sec"]=>
      int(1386834294)
      ["usec"]=>
      int(655000)
    }
    ["created_at"]=>
    object(MongoDate)#3607 (2) {
      ["sec"]=>
      int(1386834294)
      ["usec"]=>
      int(655000)
    }
  }
  ["relations":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["hidden":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["visible":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["appends":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["guarded":protected]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(1) "*"
  }
  ["dates":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["touches":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["with":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["exists"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["softDelete":protected]=>
  bool(false)
}

//first()

object(Models\Mongo\MongoCategory)#3610 (23) {
  ["collection":protected]=>
  string(16) "leaf.v2.category"
  ["connection":protected]=>
  string(7) "mongodb"
  ["fillable":protected]=>
  array(8) {
    [0]=>
    string(3) "_id"
    [1]=>
    string(4) "slug"
    [2]=>
    string(4) "name"
    [3]=>
    string(6) "parent"
    [4]=>
    string(5) "alias"
    [5]=>
    string(5) "count"
    [6]=>
    string(5) "ngram"
    [7]=>
    string(4) "meta"
  }
  ["rules":protected]=>
  array(2) {
    ["slug"]=>
    string(45) "required|min:1|max:32|unique:leaf.v2.category"
    ["name"]=>
    string(12) "min:1|max:64"
  }
  ["error":protected]=>
  NULL
  ["options":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["primaryKey":protected]=>
  string(3) "_id"
  ["table":protected]=>
  NULL
  ["perPage":protected]=>
  int(15)
  ["incrementing"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["timestamps"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["attributes":protected]=>
  array(6) {
    ["_id"]=>
    string(19) "test.data.custom.id"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(14) "test.data.slug"
    ["parent"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      string(16) "test.data.parent"
    }
    ["meta"]=>
    array(1) {
      ["main"]=>
      bool(false)
    }
    ["updated_at"]=>
    string(19) "2013-12-12 07:44:54"
    ["created_at"]=>
    string(19) "2013-12-12 07:44:54"
  }
  ["original":protected]=>
  array(6) {
    ["_id"]=>
    string(19) "test.data.custom.id"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(14) "test.data.slug"
    ["parent"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      string(16) "test.data.parent"
    }
    ["meta"]=>
    array(1) {
      ["main"]=>
      bool(false)
    }
    ["updated_at"]=>
    string(19) "2013-12-12 07:44:54"
    ["created_at"]=>
    string(19) "2013-12-12 07:44:54"
  }
  ["relations":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["hidden":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["visible":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["appends":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["guarded":protected]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(1) "*"
  }
  ["dates":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["touches":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["with":protected]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["exists"]=>
  bool(true)
  ["softDelete":protected]=>
  bool(false)
}

//mongodb

{
    "_id" : "test.data.custom.id",
    "slug" : "test.data.slug",
    "parent" : [
        "test.data.parent"
    ],
    "meta" : {
        "main" : false
    },
    "updated_at" : ISODate("2013-12-12T07:41:05.624Z"),
    "created_at" : ISODate("2013-12-12T07:41:05.624Z")
}

[jenssegers]

This is because MongoDates get converted to string when they are returned from the database. I'll check what I can do.

[jenssegers]

This should be fixed in the newest version.

[bitinn]

Many thx for the fix, I got 2 quick follow-up questions:

Does $date array on model has an effect on created_at field if we add them manually?

If we have field name birthday that's not in the $date array, and we manually use fromDateTime before saving it, it will be returned as MongoDate or String?

https://github.com/jenssegers/Laravel-MongoDB/blob/master/tests/ModelTest.php#L323

[jenssegers]

Since the commit above, mongodates are only converted to string when the attributes are converted to an array, which can then be used to print json. So you can perfectly run fromDateTime on any attribute you want.

I don't really know if $date overrides the original timestamps, that functionality is handled by the original class.

[bitinn]

Thx again, I now see there is asDateTime method and its called on attributesToArray.

But it's probably going to skip nested array right?

Say I have this:

{
    "data": {
        "feed": [
            {
                "url": "http://some.url/feed/",
                "title": "some feed title",
                "retry": 0,
                "failure": false,
                "force": false,
                "next_update": ISODate("2013-xxx")
            },
        ],
        ...
    }
}

Say feed is an attribute of a document, what's the expected result of next_update when running toArray on this model ?

[jenssegers]

Yes that one would be skipped. You could add a saving-event listener that converts the date: http://laravel.com/docs/eloquent#model-events

[bitinn]

@jenssegers apologize for asking this again, why does binding to saving event affect the output of toArray, isn't it strictly for saving (updates)?