Is it recommended to use a timestamp for tracking user activity instead of setting values to 0 or 1 in PHP?

Using a timestamp to track user activity is recommended as it provides more precise information about when the activity occurred compared to simply setting values to 0 or 1. This can be useful for analyzing user behavior patterns, identifying trends, and troubleshooting any issues related to user activity. By storing timestamps, you can have a more accurate record of when actions were taken by users. 

// Example of tracking user activity using timestamps
$user_id = 123;
$activity = 'login';

// Get the current timestamp
$timestamp = time();

// Store the user activity with the timestamp
$activity_log = [
    'user_id' => $user_id,
    'activity' => $activity,
    'timestamp' => $timestamp
];

// Save the activity log to a database or log file
// For example, if using a database:
// $db->insert('activity_logs', $activity_log);

Keywords

timestamp user activity tracking PHP values

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