Is it recommended to store time intervals as timestamps in PHP for better accuracy and future-proofing?

Storing time intervals as timestamps in PHP is recommended for better accuracy and future-proofing. Timestamps provide a standardized way to represent time intervals and ensure consistency across different systems. Additionally, timestamps allow for easy manipulation, comparison, and conversion of time intervals.

// Store time intervals as timestamps for better accuracy and future-proofing
$startTimestamp = strtotime('2022-01-01 08:00:00');
$endTimestamp = strtotime('2022-01-01 12:00:00');

// Calculate the duration in seconds
$duration = $endTimestamp - $startTimestamp;

echo "The duration is: " . $duration . " seconds";