How can the now() function be properly utilized in PHP for updating datetime values in a database?

When updating datetime values in a database using PHP, the now() function can be utilized to automatically insert the current date and time. This can be achieved by including the now() function in the SQL query used to update the datetime column in the database table.

<?php
// Establish a connection to the database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// Update datetime column using now() function
$sql = "UPDATE table_name SET datetime_column = NOW() WHERE id = 1";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "Datetime value updated successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error updating datetime value: " . $conn->error;
}

// Close database connection
$conn->close();
?>