Regression: strtotime() natural-language relative phrases return false (re-#15058, ext/date/lib/parse_date.re) #17586

Category

stdlib · php-src-strict

Problem

English relative date phrases that Zend parses via parse_date.re return false here, breaking downstream date() calls (TypeError on bool timestamp). Closed #15058 / #14151 covered similar gaps; this repro is still red on master (2026-07-10).

php-src reference

• php/php-src ext/date/lib/parse_date.re — natural-language relative modifiers (last year, weekday phrases)
• php/php-src ext/standard/parsdate.c — php_parse_date() bridge used by strtotime()

PHP implementation target

• ext/date/ procedural strtotime() / shared parse helpers in PHP — port relative-phrase rules from parse_date.re; avoid growing runtime/ C tables

Repro

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'php bin/vm.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_strtotime_relative_phrase.php'
# fail: strtotime('last year January 1') returned false

Done when

• maintainer_gap_strtotime_relative_phrase.php prints ok on VM
• DateTime::modify() on the same phrase family stays aligned (see closed Regression: DateTime::modify() / date_modify() — natural-language relative strings fail (ext/date/php_date.c) #14326)
• Compliance .phpt under test/compliance/cases/date/strtotime_relative_phrase.phpt
• php-src-strict; no php-compiler-strict shortcut