Is it recommended to use MySQL timestamp or datetime fields for storing date and time information in PHP applications, and what are the advantages of using these data types over string formats?

It is recommended to use MySQL timestamp fields for storing date and time information in PHP applications because they automatically update to the current timestamp when a row is inserted or updated. This ensures data consistency and accuracy, and simplifies querying based on time intervals. Additionally, timestamp fields are timezone-aware, making it easier to handle time-related operations. 

// Create a table with a timestamp field in MySQL
CREATE TABLE example_table (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

// Insert a row with the current timestamp
INSERT INTO example_table (id) VALUES (1);

// Update the row and see the timestamp field automatically update
UPDATE example_table SET id = 2 WHERE id = 1;

Keywords

MySQL timestamp datetime date and time data types

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