Functions returning TRUE or FALSE

Question

Morning chaps,
Wrote a function that converts a date in the format "01 Jan 2010" to a Unix timestamp. It also returns FALSE if it cannot convert the date it is being passed, which is great because I can use:
<cfif convertDateToUTS(FORM.date)>
     <cfset #date# = #convertDateToUTS(FORM.date)# />
     <p>Your date: <cfoutput>#date#</cfoutput></p>
<cfelse>
     <p>Could not convert date.</p>
</cfif>
Here is the function:
<cffunction name="convertDateToUTS" output="no">
    <cfargument name="date" required="Yes" />
    <cfargument name="time" default="00:00"/>
<cftry>
    <cfset #date# = trim(left(trim(date), 11)) />
    <cfset #time# = trim(left(trim(time), 5)) />
    <cfset #dateArr# = #listToArray(date, " ")# />
    <cfset #dateArr[2]# = #replace(dateArr[2], "Jan", 1)# />
    <cfset #dateArr[2]# = #replace(dateArr[2], "Feb", 2)# />
    ...etc...
    <cfset #dateArr[2]# = #replace(dateArr[2], "Dec", 12)# />
    <cfset #dateTime# = ArrayToList(dateArr, " ")&" "&time />
    <cfset #dateTimeBits# = listToArray(dateTime, " :") />
    <cfset #ODBCdateTime# = CreateODBCDateTime(CreateDateTime(dateTimeBits[3], dateTimeBits[2], dateTimeBits[1], dateTimeBits[4], dateTimeBits[5], 0)) />
    <cfset #unixDateTime# = #DateDiff("s", CreateDate(1970,1,1), ODBCdateTime)# />
    <cfreturn #unixDateTime# />
<cfcatch>
    <cfreturn FALSE />
</cfcatch>
</cftry>
</cffunction>
However, now I want to write a similar one which converts a timestamp to a date in that format:
<cffunction name="convertUTStoDate" output="no">
     <cfargument name="uts" required="Yes" />
<cftry>
     <cfset #date# = #DateFormat(DateAdd("s",uts,"1970/01/01 00:00:00"),"DD MMM YYYY")# />
     <cfset #time# = #TimeFormat(DateAdd("s",uts,"1970/01/01 00:00:00"), "HH:mm")# />
     <cfreturn #date#&" "&#time# />
<cfcatch>
     <cfreturn FALSE />
</cfcatch>
</cftry>
</cffunction>
This does the conversion correctly but it it won't let me use it as the condition in a CFIF like the first function does eg <cfif convertUTStoDate(uts)> but, it does work exactly as I want if I do this: <cfif convertUTStoDate(uts) NEQ FALSE>
What am I doing wrong? I really want it to behave like the first function when used in a condition. Massive thanks to anyone who can help!
T

Answer 1

What dou you think of the following version of your code? It is the same as your original code but, in my opinion, a bit simpler.  For example, your test now becomes something like
<!--- remember returntype is now a struct --->
<cfif convertDateToUTS(FORM.date).isConverted>
     <cfset date = convertDateToUTS(FORM.date).unixDateTime/>
     <p>Your date: <cfoutput>#date#</cfoutput></p>
<cfelse>
     <p>Could not convert date.</p>
      Reason: <cfoutput>#convertDateToUTS(FORM.date).message#</cfoutput>
</cfif>
<cffunction name="convertDateToUTS" output="no" returntype="struct">
    <cfargument name="date" required="Yes" />
    <cfargument name="time" default="00:00"/>
    <cfset var returnStruct = structNew()>
    <cfset returnStruct.datetime = "">
    <cfset returnStruct.isConverted= false>
<cftry>
    <cfset date = trim(left(trim(date), 11)) />
    <cfset time = trim(left(trim(time), 5)) />
    <cfset dateArr = listToArray(date, " ") />
    <cfset dateArr[2] = replace(dateArr[2], "Jan", 1) />
    <cfset dateArr[2] = replace(dateArr[2], "Feb", 2) />
    ...etc...
    <cfset dateArr[2] = replace(dateArr[2], "Dec", 12) />
    <cfset dateTime = ArrayToList(dateArr, " ")&" "&time />
    <cfset dateTimeBits = listToArray(dateTime, " :") />
    <cfset ODBCdateTime = CreateODBCDateTime(CreateDateTime(dateTimeBits[3], dateTimeBits[2], dateTimeBits[1], dateTimeBits[4], dateTimeBits[5], 0)) />
    <cfset returnStruct.unixDateTime = DateDiff("s", CreateDate(1970,1,1), ODBCdateTime) />
    <cfset returnStruct.message = "Conversion succeeded.">
    <cfset returnStruct.isConverted= true>
    <cfreturn  returnStruct>
<cfcatch>
    <cfset returnStruct.message = cfcatch.message>
    <cfreturn  returnStruct>
</cfcatch>
</cftry>
</cffunction>
<cffunction name="convertUTStoDate" output="no" returntype="struct">
     <cfargument name="uts" required="Yes" />
     <cfset var returnStruct = structNew()>
     <cfset returnStruct.datetime = "">
     <cfset returnStruct.isConverted= false>
<cftry>
     <cfset date = DateFormat(DateAdd("s",uts,"1970/01/01 00:00:00"),"DD MMM YYYY") />
     <cfset time = TimeFormat(DateAdd("s",uts,"1970/01/01 00:00:00"), "HH:mm") />
     <cfset returnStruct.datetime = date&" "&time />
     <cfset returnStruct.message = "Conversion succeeded.">
     <cfset returnStruct.isConverted= true>
     <cfreturn  returnStruct>
<cfcatch>
      <cfset returnStruct.message = cfcatch.message>
      <cfreturn  returnStruct>
</cfcatch>
</cftry>
</cffunction>