How can the use of NOW() function in PHP affect the insertion of data into a MySQL database?

When using the NOW() function in PHP to insert the current timestamp into a MySQL database, it's important to ensure that the column in the database table is of the correct data type, such as TIMESTAMP or DATETIME. If the column is not set up to accept timestamps, the insertion may fail or result in unexpected behavior. To fix this, make sure the column is properly configured to store timestamps before using the NOW() function in your SQL query.

// Assuming you have a MySQL connection established

// Define your SQL query with the NOW() function to insert the current timestamp
$sql = "INSERT INTO table_name (timestamp_column) VALUES (NOW())";

// Execute the query
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "Record inserted successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}

// Close the connection
$conn->close();