What are the best practices for handling timestamps in PHP to ensure accurate date and time representation?

When handling timestamps in PHP, it is important to ensure accurate date and time representation by using the correct functions and formats. One of the best practices is to always set the default timezone using `date_default_timezone_set()` to avoid any discrepancies in time zones. Additionally, using the `DateTime` class and its methods can help in manipulating and formatting timestamps effectively.

// Set the default timezone to ensure accurate date and time representation
date_default_timezone_set('UTC');

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

// Create a DateTime object using the timestamp
$dateTime = new DateTime();
$dateTime->setTimestamp($currentTimestamp);

// Format the date and time as needed
$formattedDateTime = $dateTime->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');

echo $formattedDateTime;