What are the potential pitfalls of using the TIMESTAMP data type in PHP for storing timestamps?

Using the TIMESTAMP data type in PHP for storing timestamps can lead to potential pitfalls such as limited range (from 1970 to 2038), inability to store dates before 1970 or after 2038, and potential issues with time zone conversions. To solve this issue, it is recommended to use the DATETIME data type instead, which has a much wider range and allows for more flexibility in storing timestamps. 

// Using DATETIME data type instead of TIMESTAMP to store timestamps
// Create a table with DATETIME column
$sql = "CREATE TABLE example_table (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    timestamp_column DATETIME
)";
$conn->query($sql);

// Insert a timestamp using DATETIME data type
$timestamp = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$sql = "INSERT INTO example_table (timestamp_column) VALUES ('$timestamp')";
$conn->query($sql);

Keywords

TIMESTAMP data type PHP storing timestamps potential pitfalls error handling

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