What are the benefits of storing timestamps in UTC format and converting them to local time for display in PHP applications?

Storing timestamps in UTC format ensures consistency across different time zones and simplifies date and time calculations. Converting them to local time for display in PHP applications allows users to see the timestamps in their own timezone, providing a better user experience. 

// Store timestamps in UTC format
$timestamp = gmdate('Y-m-d H:i:s');

// Convert UTC timestamp to local time for display
$localTime = new DateTime($timestamp, new DateTimeZone('UTC'));
$localTime->setTimezone(new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));
echo $localTime->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');

Keywords

UTC format timestamp local time conversion PHP applications

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