How can the use of timestamps instead of formatted dates improve data storage and processing in PHP applications?

Using timestamps instead of formatted dates can improve data storage and processing in PHP applications by allowing for more efficient sorting, searching, and manipulation of date and time data. Timestamps are stored as integers representing the number of seconds since a specific point in time (usually January 1, 1970), making them easier to compare and calculate with. This can lead to faster query execution and reduced storage space compared to storing dates in formatted strings.

// Storing current timestamp in a variable
$timestamp = time();

// Converting timestamp to a formatted date
$formattedDate = date('Y-m-d H:i:s', $timestamp);

echo "Timestamp: $timestamp\n";
echo "Formatted Date: $formattedDate\n";