function.find_date.php

<?php
/**
 * Find Date in a String
 *
 * @author   Etienne Tremel
 * @license  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC by 3.0
 * @link     http://www.etiennetremel.net
 * @version  0.2.0
 *
 * @param string  find_date( ' some text 01/01/2012 some text' ) or find_date( ' some text October 5th 86 some text' )
 * @return mixed  false if no date found else array: array( 'day' => 01, 'month' => 01, 'year' => 2012 )
 */
function find_date( $string ) {
  $shortenize = function( $string ) {
    return substr( $string, 0, 3 );
  };

  // Define month name:
  $month_names = array(
    "january",
    "february",
    "march",
    "april",
    "may",
    "june",
    "july",
    "august",
    "september",
    "october",
    "november",
    "december"
  );
  $short_month_names = array_map( $shortenize, $month_names );

  // Define day name
  $day_names = array(
    "monday",
    "tuesday",
    "wednesday",
    "thursday",
    "friday",
    "saturday",
    "sunday"
  );
  $short_day_names = array_map( $shortenize, $day_names );

  // Define ordinal number
  $ordinal_number = ['st', 'nd', 'rd', 'th'];

  $day = "";
  $month = "";
  $year = "";

  // Match dates: 01/01/2012 or 30-12-11 or 1 2 1985
  preg_match( '/([0-9]?[0-9])[\.\-\/ ]+([0-1]?[0-9])[\.\-\/ ]+([0-9]{2,4})/', $string, $matches );
  if ( $matches ) {
    if ( $matches[1] )
      $day = $matches[1];
    if ( $matches[2] )
      $month = $matches[2];
    if ( $matches[3] )
      $year = $matches[3];
  }

  // Match dates: Sunday 1st March 2015; Sunday, 1 March 2015; Sun 1 Mar 2015; Sun-1-March-2015
  preg_match('/(?:(?:' . implode( '|', $day_names ) . '|' . implode( '|', $short_day_names ) . ')[ ,\-_\/]*)?([0-9]?[0-9])[ ,\-_\/]*(?:' . implode( '|', $ordinal_number ) . ')?[ ,\-_\/]*(' . implode( '|', $month_names ) . '|' . implode( '|', $short_month_names ) . ')[ ,\-_\/]+([0-9]{4})/i', $string, $matches );
  if ( $matches ) {
    if ( empty( $day ) && $matches[1] )
      $day = $matches[1];

    if ( empty( $month ) && $matches[2] ) {
      $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches[2] ),  $short_month_names );

      if ( ! $month )
        $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches[2] ),  $month_names );

      $month = $month + 1;
    }

    if ( empty( $year ) && $matches[3] )
      $year = $matches[3];
  }

  // Match dates: March 1st 2015; March 1 2015; March-1st-2015
  preg_match('/(' . implode( '|', $month_names ) . '|' . implode( '|', $short_month_names ) . ')[ ,\-_\/]*([0-9]?[0-9])[ ,\-_\/]*(?:' . implode( '|', $ordinal_number ) . ')?[ ,\-_\/]+([0-9]{4})/i', $string, $matches );
  if ( $matches ) {
    if ( empty( $month ) && $matches[1] ) {
      $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches[1] ),  $short_month_names );

      if ( ! $month )
        $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches[1] ),  $month_names );

      $month = $month + 1;
    }

    if ( empty( $day ) && $matches[2] )
      $day = $matches[2];

    if ( empty( $year ) && $matches[3] )
      $year = $matches[3];
  }

  // Match month name:
  if ( empty( $month ) ) {
    preg_match( '/(' . implode( '|', $month_names ) . ')/i', $string, $matches_month_word );
    if ( $matches_month_word && $matches_month_word[1] )
      $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches_month_word[1] ),  $month_names );

    // Match short month names
    if ( empty( $month ) ) {
      preg_match( '/(' . implode( '|', $short_month_names ) . ')/i', $string, $matches_month_word );
      if ( $matches_month_word && $matches_month_word[1] )
        $month = array_search( strtolower( $matches_month_word[1] ),  $short_month_names );
    }

    $month = $month + 1;
  }

  // Match 5th 1st day:
  if ( empty( $day ) ) {
    preg_match( '/([0-9]?[0-9])(' . implode( '|', $ordinal_number ) . ')/', $string, $matches_day );
    if ( $matches_day && $matches_day[1] )
      $day = $matches_day[1];
  }

  // Match Year if not already setted:
  if ( empty( $year ) ) {
    preg_match( '/[0-9]{4}/', $string, $matches_year );
    if ( $matches_year && $matches_year[0] )
      $year = $matches_year[0];
  }
  if ( ! empty ( $day ) && ! empty ( $month ) && empty( $year ) ) {
    preg_match( '/[0-9]{2}/', $string, $matches_year );
    if ( $matches_year && $matches_year[0] )
      $year = $matches_year[0];
  }

  // Day leading 0
  if ( 1 == strlen( $day ) )
    $day = '0' . $day;

  // Month leading 0
  if ( 1 == strlen( $month ) )
    $month = '0' . $month;

  // Check year:
  if ( 2 == strlen( $year ) && $year > 20 )
    $year = '19' . $year;
  else if ( 2 == strlen( $year ) && $year < 20 )
    $year = '20' . $year;

  $date = array(
    'year'  => $year,
    'month' => $month,
    'day'   => $day
  );

  // Return false if nothing found:
  if ( empty( $year ) && empty( $month ) && empty( $day ) )
    return false;
  else
    return $date;
}
?>