How can PHP functions like mktime() and date() be used to improve date handling in MySQL?
When dealing with dates in MySQL, it can be beneficial to use PHP functions like mktime() and date() to manipulate and format dates before inserting them into the database. This can help ensure that dates are in the correct format and timezone, making it easier to query and display them later on.
// Create a timestamp using mktime() and format it using date()
$timestamp = mktime(0, 0, 0, 10, 1, 2022);
$formatted_date = date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $timestamp);
// Insert the formatted date into MySQL
$query = "INSERT INTO table_name (date_column) VALUES ('$formatted_date')";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);
// Retrieve the date from MySQL and format it using date()
$query = "SELECT date_column FROM table_name WHERE id = 1";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result);
$retrieved_date = date("F j, Y, g:i a", strtotime($row['date_column']));
echo "Retrieved date: " . $retrieved_date;