What are the differences in functionality and compatibility between the date() and strftime() functions in PHP, especially when used on Windows servers?

When working with dates in PHP on Windows servers, the date() function may not always provide the desired formatting due to differences in system settings. In such cases, using the strftime() function can be a more reliable option as it allows for more control over the date format and is not affected by system settings.

// Using strftime() function to format date on Windows server
$date = strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", time());
echo $date;