Purpose

This document explains the operating principles of the SecurityHelper::validate_date method and the date normalization standards used across the Rentiva ecosystem.

📅 Date Validation and Normalization

Dates in Rentiva can arrive in various formats (UI, API, DatePicker). The SecurityHelper::validate_date method acts as a "Secure Gate" that converts all these inputs into the standard ISO (YYYY-MM-DD) format.

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🛠️ Validation Hierarchy

The method attempts to normalize incoming data in the following order:

1. ISO Check: If the value is already in YYYY-MM-DD format, it is returned directly.
2. WP Date Format: Attempts to parse using the date_format value from WordPress settings (e.g. d/m/Y).
3. Common Formats: Iterates through d/m/Y, m/d/Y, d-m-Y, Y/m/d in a loop.
4. Normalization & Fallback: Converts separators (., /, ) to - and makes a final attempt with strtotime.

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🔄 Flow Diagram

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💻 Usage Example

use MHMRentiva\Admin\Core\SecurityHelper;

try {
    // Validation with different formats
    $date1 = SecurityHelper::validate_date('2026-01-01'); // Returns '2026-01-01'
    $date2 = SecurityHelper::validate_date('31/12/2025'); // Returns '2025-12-31'
    $date3 = SecurityHelper::validate_date('2025.05.20'); // Returns '2025-05-20'
} catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {
    // Invalid format handling
    AdvancedLogger::error('Invalid date attempt: ' . $e->getMessage());
}

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🛡️ Security and Error Handling

• Strict Validation: If no format matches, the method throws an InvalidArgumentException.
• Null Safety: If the input is empty or null, it is cleaned via sanitize_text_field_safe and an exception is thrown.
• Timezone: The final output is always produced as UTC-based via gmdate('Y-m-d').

Section Summary

• All date inputs must pass through the validate_date filter.
• The output is always a string in ISO (YYYY-MM-DD) format.
• On failure, an Exception is thrown that interrupts the application flow.

Changelog

Date	Version	Note
23.04.2026	4.27.2	English translation added.
19.03.2026	4.21.2	Updated to reflect SecurityHelper::validate_date normalization and fallback logic.