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ClockHolder — global clock with scoped substitution

Purpose

A global application clock slot: set()/get()/reset() and within($clock, $fn) — temporary substitution with guaranteed restoration even on exceptions.

What for and how to use

A bridge for DI-free code and for DatePoint; in tests within() isolates the substitution from neighbouring tests.

Example

$result = ClockHolder::within(
    MockClock::from('2026-01-01 00:00:00', 'UTC'),
    fn () => $service->generateReport(),   // inside, “now” is 2026-01-01
);
// the global clock is restored automatically

Anti-patterns

Global state is a conscious trade-off: in new services inject ClockInterface directly.

Lifecycle

sequenceDiagram
    participant T as Caller
    participant H as ClockHolder
    T->>H: within(mock, fn)
    H->>H: save previous, set mock
    H->>T: fn() result
    H->>H: restore previous (finally)

Feature comparison with competitors

Aspect	🏆 CloudCastle	symfony	carbon	lcobucci	beste	ergebnis
Scoped substitution with auto-restore	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Restoration on exception	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
System clock default when unset	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Explicit `isSet()`/`reset()`	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Total	🏆 4	1	3	0	0	0

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