allow views_handler_field_date to work with SQL datetime format

This seems useful, but for completeness it would probably also need something to handle sort and filter?

If I understand correctly: currently a contrib module would have to extend the views_handler_field_date and override the render method to provide datetime support?

saw a reference here: http://drupal.stackexchange.com/questions/34261/creating-a-sortable-field

The patch works for me, and I really appreciate this change. Now I'm able to extend that handler in all kinds of useful ways. I vote that it gets incorporated into Views.

Instead of patching date field handler, why not creating a specific field handler?

as even the patch suggest, the patch itself makes a big assumption

+ // If the value isn't numeric, assume it's an SQL DATETIME.

So why not going toward a field handler such as

class module_handler_field_datetime extends views_handler_field_date {
 function render($values) {
     $value = $this->get_value($values);
return parent::render(strtotime($value)); 
 }
}

that way, we still use views_handler_field_date and add a specific strtotime for SQL datatime fields plugged in from hooks_view_data.

obviously, you need to add the following line to module.info

files[] = handlers/module_handler_field_datetime.inc

parent::render expects the full $values object, so this would be better:

class module_field_datetime extends views_handler_field_date {
 function render($values) {
   $values->{$this->field_alias} = strtotime($this->get_value($values));
   return parent::render($values);
 }
}

I'm sorry @JulienThomas, but I disagree with you. It is not pratical at all to have different field handlers for each "date" sql column.

Also, is it really such a big assumption to try to turn the value into timestamp if it isnt a numeric? Is there any possibility of this assumption to break something?

IMO this is such a simple change that can help so many people without any impact on the current functionality.

I believe this should be patched.

Reworked the patch with latest dev code.

#9 is just a straightforward re-roll, so back to RTBC as per #8.

#9 no longer applying for me after updating to 3.20, rerolled patch attached.

#11 also works for 3.21

Any chance this could be added to the next release? It's RTBC for 2 years already

Committed. Thanks!