PHP Date to iCal date format for DTSTART

Question

Is there an easy way to get the correct format for an iCal DTSTART using php date?

I need the format to look like: 20111008T110000 or 20111008 (that one is easy) if I don't have any time.

Does PHP date have a quick way to do this, specifically one that adds the time or removes it when needed?

Answer 1

There isn't any native PHP function or date format that I'm aware of, so you'll need to create your own function. Something like this:

function getIcalDate($time, $inclTime = true)
{
    return date('Ymd' . ($inclTime ? '\THis' : ''), $time);
}

As hakre pointed out in a comment, the date formatter can't distinguish between a date with time and a date without time - you'll have to decide the logic behind that.

Answer 2

date('Ymd\THis', time())

You can replace time() with your own timestamp.