What are the potential uses of retrieving file creation dates in PHP for data management or analysis?

Retrieving file creation dates in PHP can be useful for data management or analysis tasks such as organizing files by age, tracking changes over time, or identifying outdated content. By accessing this metadata, you can automate processes based on file creation dates and make informed decisions about data retention or archiving.

$filename = 'example.txt';

if (file_exists($filename)) {
    $creation_date = filectime($filename);
    echo "The creation date of $filename is: " . date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $creation_date);
} else {
    echo "File does not exist.";
}