Stdlib: DateTime / DateTimeImmutable OOP (ext/date parity)

[PurHur]

Category

stdlib

Status (2026-06-07 audit)

Partial landing. DateTime / DateTimeZone classes exist on the VM (class_exists('DateTime') → true), but OOP method dispatch is broken or stubbed for common paths. Procedural date() / gmdate() remain in ext/standard/date.php.

Do not re-implement the whole ext/date module in one PR — claim a child slice below.

Gap	Issue
->format() / method dispatch (Method call on non-object)	#5120
JIT/AOT method lowering (phase 2)	#4043
DateTimeInterface + ATOM constant	#7141
__construct() malformed string / exception parity	#7113, #7162 (enum operand TypeError)
modify() enum modifier TypeError	#6132
Static factories (createFromFormat, createFromTimestamp, …)	#4659, #5973, #5936, #6518, #6197
getLastErrors()	#4660
PHP 8.4 getMicrosecond() / setMicrosecond()	#7082
Procedural date_add / date_diff / …	#4604
Delete host \DateTime delegation	#6164 (php-in-php)
Exception hierarchy	#7276–#7279, #7129

Problem

Zend apps use DateTime / DateTimeImmutable / DateTimeZone for parsing, formatting, and time zones. This compiler registers class names but instance methods fail on typical scripts — blocking sessions, logging, and future self-host vendor code.

php-src reference

• php/php-src ext/date/php_date.c — procedural API
• php/php-src ext/date/php_datetime.c — DateTime, DateTimeImmutable
• php/php-src ext/date/php_datetime.stub.php
• php/php-src ext/date/php_datetimezone.c

Repro (failure today — probed 2026-06-07)

<?php
$dt = new DateTime('2026-05-29', new DateTimeZone('UTC'));
echo $dt->format('Y-m-d');

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh
php -r "\$dt = new DateTime(\"2026-05-29\", new DateTimeZone(\"UTC\")); echo \$dt->format(\"Y-m-d\");"
php bin/vm.php -r "\$dt = new DateTime(\"2026-05-29\", new DateTimeZone(\"UTC\")); echo \$dt->format(\"Y-m-d\");"
'

Runtime	Result
Zend PHP 8.2	2026-05-29
bin/vm.php	Method call on non-object (or similar fatal on ->format())

Scope (this repo — PHP-in-PHP first)

Area	Path
VM builtins	ext/date/ or ext/standard/VmDate*.php — real handlers, not host new \DateTime long-term (#6164)
Class registry	lib/VM/BuiltinClasses.php, lib/VM.php
Compiler	new DateTime as builtin/user class
JIT/AOT	#4043 — phase 1 VM-only methods acceptable for v1
Matrix	script/capability-matrix.php — syntax row already notes VM-only (capabilities-syntax.md)

Done when (umbrella — close when children green)

• Repro prints 2026-05-29 on VM without host PHP date delegation
• instanceof DateTime / DateTimeInterface parity (Stdlib: DateTime object identity — instanceof false and instance methods fail (ext/date/php_datetime.c) #5120, Stdlib: DateTimeInterface built-in interface missing — ATOM constant fetch + instanceof broken (ext/date/php_date.h) #7141)
• Compliance: test/compliance/cases/stdlib/datetime_construct_format.phpt green on VM
• Child issues above tracked; no duplicate mega-PR

Verification

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && ./script/ci-fast.sh --filter DateTime'

Links

• North star: Epic: Self-host critical path — compiler compiles itself (M3→M5) #1492
• Procedural subset: ext/standard/date.php, lib/JIT/Builtin/StringDateTime.php
• ROADMAP: 🗺️ ROADMAP: Self-host + web-capable PHP subset (living) #78

[PurHur]

claim: automation-worker-a — starting this run