What is the difference between using NOW() directly in a SQL statement versus using PHP functions like date()?

When using NOW() directly in a SQL statement, the timestamp generated is based on the server's timezone. This can lead to inconsistencies if the server timezone is different from the application's timezone. To ensure consistency, it's better to use PHP functions like date() to generate the timestamp in the application's timezone and then pass it to the SQL statement. 

// Get the current timestamp in the application's timezone
$timestamp = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');

// Use the timestamp in an SQL statement
$sql = "INSERT INTO table_name (timestamp_column) VALUES ('$timestamp')";

Keywords

NOW() SQL statement PHP functions date() difference

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