/**
  * Create the html element used as the UI control for the datepicker button.
  * The href must keep only active filters.
  *
  * @param array           $args         Populated args for the view
  * @param int|string|null $initial_date The datepicker's initially set date
  * @return Ai1ec_Generic_Html_Tag
  */
 public static function create_datepicker_link(array $args, $initial_date = null)
 {
     global $ai1ec_settings, $ai1ec_view_helper;
     $link = Ai1ec_Helper_Factory::create_generic_html_tag('a');
     $date_format_pattern = Ai1ec_Time_Utility::get_date_pattern_by_key($ai1ec_settings->input_date_format);
     if ($initial_date == null) {
         // If exact_date argument was provided, use its value to initialize
         // datepicker.
         if (isset($args['exact_date']) && $args['exact_date'] !== false && $args['exact_date'] !== null) {
             $initial_date = $args['exact_date'];
         } else {
             $initial_date = Ai1ec_Time_Utility::gmt_to_local(Ai1ec_Time_Utility::current_time());
         }
     }
     // Convert initial date to formatted date if required.
     if (Ai1ec_Validation_Utility::is_valid_time_stamp($initial_date)) {
         $initial_date = Ai1ec_Time_Utility::format_date(Ai1ec_Time_Utility::gmt_to_local($initial_date), $ai1ec_settings->input_date_format);
     }
     $link->add_class('ai1ec-minical-trigger btn');
     $link->set_attribute('data-date', $initial_date);
     $link->set_attribute('data-date-format', $date_format_pattern);
     $link->set_attribute('data-date-weekstart', $ai1ec_settings->week_start_day);
     $link->set_attribute_expr($args['data_type']);
     $text = '<img src="' . esc_attr($ai1ec_view_helper->get_theme_img_url('date-icon.png')) . '" class="ai1ec-icon-datepicker" />';
     $link->set_text($text);
     $href_args = array('action' => $args['action'], 'cat_ids' => $args['cat_ids'], 'tag_ids' => $args['tag_ids'], 'exact_date' => "__DATE__");
     $data_href = self::create_href_helper_instance($href_args);
     $link->set_attribute('data-href', $data_href->generate_href());
     $link->set_attribute('href', '#');
     return $link;
 }