Title: Unable to create DateTime object from string
Last modified: August 16, 2017
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# Unable to create DateTime object from string
* Resolved [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/)
* I am getting this error message when trying to view list:
Message to admin only:
Fatal error caught – Unable to create DateTime object from this string: “2017-
08-06 23:19:24 ” Please check the content of your date fields, and any fields
where you have specified a date format
* The field is user_registered and I am trying to put it in its own column. In
the WordPress settings, I have set the same date/time format as in the “Fields&
Nice Names” Field type. When I configure the list, on the Format tab, The “User
Registered” field has a pulldown with greyed out selections. But nest to the
pulldown there is the indication (date), so I assume it is set as date.
* Can you tel me what the problem is?
* Thanks,
Janet
* The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Funable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
to see the link]_
Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
* Plugin Author [anmari](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anmari/)
* (@anmari)
* [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9416090)
* Hi Janet,
* the greyed out bits just mean there are more formatting options available through
add-ons. Without addons you should be able to choose ‘Date and Time’ or ‘Ago
Human time difference’. If you leave it unchosen, the default is ‘Ago’ for historical
compatibility.
The wordpress date and time format settings don’t currently influence
it – except for timezone.
* Is it only complaining about the one record out of several? Is that converted
data? It’s possible that there are some other non visible characters in there
or somehow corrupted. That datestring itself should be fine – works on my system.
* Thread Starter [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9416204)
* Hi Anmari,
Thanks for responding so quickly!
* I am really confused now, I played around a bit more with 2 lists that I have.
On the Fields & Nice names page, I set the user_registered to nothing Field Type.
Then I created a new list and added that field as the last column. It rendered
fine, using the “Ago” format. Then I went back to my original list that was throwing
the errors. The last column is this user_registered. It is still throwing the
errors, 1 for each record. It does not show the “ago” format, though. It shows“
2016-05-04 00:00:00”. Which is weird! I refreshed all of the caches I could think
of. If I switch the user_registered field to the first column in the list, everything
renders fine, and there are no errors thrown.
* Does this make any sense to you? I have no clue what is going on…..
* Janet
* Thread Starter [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9416379)
* By the way, after all of the error messages, the list renders correctly underneath.
Somehow retaining the “2017-08-07 00:00:00” format.
* Plugin Author [anmari](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anmari/)
* (@anmari)
* [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9420828)
* Let me check what I think you said:
* User registered field – no special type defined. Which means the old default
format (ago) will apply. This happens as expected in 2nd list.
* Original list throws errors, but does show values. Note the the “2017-08-07 00:
00:00” format is just the raw data. It most likely has not been formatted – just
passed through.
* NOTE user_registered field type MUST be either none or datetime (not date) as
the raw data is datetime.
* Sooo, your system must be handling datetime ok, and probably your timezone ok
else the 2nd list wouldn’t work. And your data must be ok else again the 2nd
list would not work.
* So something has gone wrong with list 1? inconsistent settings or corrupted settings?
I’ve played around trying to create a dodgy combination but I cannot get that
message to happen. CHeck you don;t have any other date fields in same list just
in case.
* Then check your timezone in wp settings,
then make a note of the user list settings,
then go to General&About > General and click ‘Reset all options’. Exclude as
many user meta as you can, then find fields, exclude as many of those as you
can (keeps the configure list lighter & cleaner). Leave/set the user_registered
type as datetime. Recreate the simplest version of your report in list 1. Check
it works.
* If you ok with editing code you could drop
`echo ''.$e->getMessage().'
';` into ameta-includes.php line 32 – before the ‘echo … message to admin’.This
will give us the actual php message, which may shed light.
* let me know how it goes.
* Thread Starter [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9424064)
* Hello Anmari,
* Thank you so much for the response, I will go play around with this as you describe,
and get back to you. I did not realize that the
* NOTE user_registered field type MUST be either none or datetime (not date) as
the raw data is datetime.
* Cheers,
Janet
* Thread Starter [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9424125)
* Hello Anmari,
* So through your very good explanations, I was able to find the problem and rebuild
the list without the error messages. You were right on in your comment about
the original data in the problem list somehow getting corrupted. I found that
the datetime field raw data had somehow gotten corrupted to:
* 2017-08-06 23:19:24 !
* Don’t know how that exclamation point character got stuck in there.
* Thank you so much for your help, your support is excellent! I will go give you
a great rating!
* Janet
* Thread Starter [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* (@janetschaper)
* [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9424145)
* Hello again,
* Just for future reference, I found out how the problem got introduced. For the
user_registered field, in the “Before & After” tab, a
tag in the After
field. Since this field is last in the list, it is not needed. It was clearly
left over from when this field was combined with another one, and a line break
was desired between the two.
* Janet
Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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## Tags
* [date](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/date/)
* [date format](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/date-format/)
* 7 replies
* 2 participants
* Last reply from: [janetSchaper](https://wordpress.org/support/users/janetschaper/)
* Last activity: [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/unable-to-create-datetime-object-from-string/#post-9424145)
* Status: resolved