CodeIgniter query: How to move a column value to another column in the same row and save the current time in the original column?

Question

In my db table, I have two datetime columns: Last and Current. These column allow me to keep track of when someone last used a valid login to the service I am building up.

Using CodeIgniter's active record, is it possible to update a row so that the Last value receives the Current value AND then the Current value is replace with the current datetime?

Answer 1

Try like this:

$data = array('current_login' => date('Y-m-d H:i:s'));
$this->db->set('last_login', 'current_login', false);
$this->db->where('id', 'some_id');
$this->db->update('login_table', $data);

Pay particular attention to the set() call's 3rd parameter. false prevents CodeIgniter from quoting the 2nd parameter -- this allows the value to be treated as a table column and not a string value. For any data that doesn't need to special treatment, you can lump all of those declarations into the $data array.

The query generated by above code:

UPDATE `login_table`
SET last_login = current_login, `current_login` = '2018-01-18 15:24:13'
WHERE `id` = 'some_id'

Answer 2

$data = array( 
    'name'      => $_POST['name'] , 
    'groupname' => $_POST['groupname'], 
    'age'       => $_POST['age']
);

$this->db->where('id', $_POST['id']);

$this->db->update('tbl_user', $data);