Fix the bug on created_at in the customer_entity table on update

[sdecalom]

This pull request can fix the bug on created_at in the customer_entity table on update.

Description (*)

Since MySQL 8.0, we have had a problem with the created_on column in the customer_entity table. In the beforeSave() function, we have the date in a timezone format ==> 2010-04-21T07:42:19+00:00. However, after the update, if your MySQL is set up with time_zone='+02:00', your created_at will not be in UTC.

So, the solution is to remove the timezone format.
"2010-04-21T07:42:19+00:00" ==> "2010-04-21 07:42:19"

By doing this, the created_at field with time_zone=+2 we have a bad result

UPDATE customer_entity SET created_at = '2010-04-21T07:42:19+00:00' WHERE entity_id=5;
-- Result: 2010-04-21 09:42:19

By doing this, the created_at field will maintain the correct value.

UPDATE customer_entity SET created_at = '2010-04-21 07:42:19' WHERE entity_id=5;
-- Result: 2010-04-21 07:42:19

Related Pull Requests

Fixed Issues (if relevant)

1. Fixes Bug on created_at in customer_entity table on update #4069

Manual testing scenarios (*)

1. ...
2. ...

Questions or comments

Contribution checklist (*)

• Pull request has a meaningful description of its purpose
• All commits are accompanied by meaningful commit messages
• All automated tests passed successfully (all builds are green)
• Add yourself to contributors list

[fballiano]

I was trying to test this, but with or without this PR I always get the data saved in mysql wrong by 1h (9.15 is stored but it's 10.15 here now).

system timezone is set correctly and if I do SELECT NOW() I get the right time. timezone is also set correctly in openmage settings.

mmmm

[pquerner]

Anything you do in Magento is UTC by default.
\Mage_Core_Model_App::_initEnvironment

[fballiano]

@pquerner ye ye I know but I live in the london timezone, but I recognize now that the can still be a difference between london and UTC, which I didn't think was possible

[pquerner]

But you meantioned you did a SELECT NOW() - which is outside of Magento. So it will most likely tell you your OS timezone. Or whatever you did tell MySQL what your timezone is. Just wanted to clarify.

[fballiano]

timezone in mysql is "SYSTEM"

[kiatng]

I tested with the following script:

        $object = Mage::getModel('customer/customer');
        $attribute = $object->getResource()->getAttribute('created_at');
        $now = Mage::getSingleton('core/date')->date('Y-m-d H:i:s'); // My locale time zone is +8:00 in OpenMage.

        // Test datetime value is null
        $attribute->getBackend()->beforeSave($object);
        $createdAt0 = $object->getCreatedAt(); // Expect UTC datetime

        // Test datetime value in local time zone
        $object->setCreatedAt($now);
        $attribute->getBackend()->beforeSave($object);
        $createdAt1 = $object->getCreatedAt(); // Expect convert $now to UTC datetime

        $r = [
            'now' => $now,
            'created_at0' => $createdAt0,
            'created_at1' => $createdAt1,
        ];

Result before PR:

 array(3) {
  ["now"] => string(19) "2024-07-07 20:47:03"
  ["created_at0"] => string(19) "2024-07-07 12:47:03"
  ["created_at1"] => string(25) "2024-07-07T12:47:03+00:00"
}

After PR:

 array(3) {
  ["now"] => string(19) "2024-07-07 21:03:12"
  ["created_at0"] => string(19) "2024-07-07 13:03:12"
  ["created_at1"] => string(19) "2024-07-07 13:03:12"
}

Datetime in UTC are set and ready to be saved to DB. So both sets of results seem correct to me.

[kiatng]

Ref earlier doc MySQL 5.7 has no time zone specification. But [MySQL 8.0] doc](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/date-and-time-literals.html) has it

Beginning with MySQL 8.0.19, you can specify a time zone offset when inserting TIMESTAMP and DATETIME values into a table. The offset is appended to the time part of a datetime literal, with no intravening spaces, and uses the same format used for setting the time_zone system variable, with the following exceptions:

• For hour values less than 10, a leading zero is required.
• The value '-00:00' is rejected.
• Time zone names such as 'EET' and 'Asia/Shanghai' cannot be used; 'SYSTEM' also cannot be used in this context.

If I interpret this correctly, before v8.0, time zone offset is ignore. After v8.0, MySQL will do conversion using the offset and the config param time_zone. You can see the conversion example in the doc. It has this snippet to check the time zone:

SELECT @@system_time_zone;`
# Result in my DB: +08

I do another test MySQL 8.0.37

Without setting created_at

        $object = Mage::getModel('customer/customer')
            ->setData([
                'firstname' => 'John',
                'lastname' => 'Doe',
                'email' => 'j@ex.com',
            ])
            ->save();
        print_r($object->getCreatedAt());

With created_at, for example during data import.

        $object = Mage::getModel('customer/customer')
            ->setData([
                'firstname' => 'John1',
                'lastname' => 'Doe',
                'email' => 'j1@ex.com',
                'created_at' => Mage::getSingleton('core/date')->date('Y-m-d H:i:s'),
            ])
            ->save();
        print_r($object->getCreatedAt());

Result Before PR:

Result After PR:

Conclusion: Both sets of result are correct, meaning this PR is not needed in my test environment.

@sdecalom Any idea what server params I miss?

[sdecalom]

@kiatng, any idea.

For my side in MySQL server I have this configuration

In DB I have this

In afterLoad()
Value of date => 2021-03-17 19:58:47

Value of created_at => 2021-03-17T20:58:47+01:00

Value of created_at => 2021-03-17T19:58:47+00:00 in beforeSave()

But in DB I have 2021-03-17 20:58:47 instead of 2021-03-17 19:58:47

For my example, we have a difference of one hour

[kiatng]

My review of @sdecalom screenshots:

Screenshot 1 @@system_time_zone is set to local time zone, same as what I have.

Screenshot 3 `afterLoad()` result is correct

Value of date => 2021-03-17 19:58:47

Comment: the initial value as stored in the DB, the time zone is UTC

Value of created_at => 2021-03-17T20:58:47+01:00

Comment: the value after converting to local time zone with the UTC offset +01, meaning your local datetime is 2021-03-17 20:58:47.

I confirmed the above is a correct result with Windows Copilot and Gemini AI. My prompt is

Given datetime "2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00", what is my local time

I have changed the UTC offset to my local time zone in the prompt.

Screenshot 4 `beforeSave()` result is correct

Value of created_at => 2021-03-17T19:58:47+00:00 in beforeSave()

I am not familiar with the IDE, my guess is that the initial value is $date = '2021-03-17T20:58:47+01:00'. This is in local time zone. And the resulted value $zendDate->getIso() is '2021-03-17T19:58:47+00:00'. This is correct as we want to save datetime in UTC.

Screenshot 5 DB value is incorrect

But in DB I have 2021-03-17 20:58:47 instead of 2021-03-17 19:58:47

Conclusion: you are correct, the value in DB should be 2021-03-17 19:58:47. However, I cannot replicate this in my test:

    public function indexAction()
    {
        $var['date'] = '2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00'; // Note my time zone is UTC +8
        $object = Mage::getModel('customer/customer')->load(18);
        $object->setCreatedAt($var['date'])->save();
        $var['after_saved'] = $object->getCreatedAt();
        $object->load($object->getId());
        $var['after_load'] = $object->getCreatedAt();
        Zend_Debug::dump($var);
    }

output:

array(3) {
  ["date"] => string(25) "2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00"
  ["after_saved"] => string(25) "2021-03-17T12:58:47+00:00"
  ["after_load"] => string(25) "2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00"
}

[pquerner]

Anyone checked what happens when you load customers via collection?

[kiatng]

Anyone checked what happens when you load customers via collection?

    public function indexAction()
    {
        $var['date'] = '2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00';
        $object = Mage::getModel('customer/customer')
            ->getCollection()
            ->addAttributeToFilter('entity_id', 18)
            ->getFirstItem();
        //$object->setCreatedAt($var['date'])->save();
        //$var['after_saved'] = $object->getCreatedAt();
        //$object->load($object->getId());
        $var['after_load'] = $object->getCreatedAt();
        Zend_Debug::dump($var);
    }

result:

array(2) {
  ["date"] => string(25) "2021-03-17T20:58:47+08:00"
  ["after_load"] => string(19) "2021-03-17 12:58:47"
}

Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Attribute_Backend_Time_Created::afterLoad() is skipped, datetime is UTC.