What is the purpose of using filemtime in PHP when the date and time are already in the file name?

The purpose of using filemtime in PHP, even when the date and time are already in the file name, is to accurately retrieve the last modified timestamp of the file. This ensures that the script is always using the most up-to-date version of the file, regardless of the timestamp included in the file name. By using filemtime, you can avoid potential discrepancies between the file's actual last modified time and the timestamp in the file name. 

$filename = 'example_file_2022-01-01.txt';

// Get the last modified timestamp of the file
$filemtime = filemtime($filename);

// Use the filemtime value for further processing
echo "Last modified timestamp: " . date('Y-m-d H:i:s', $filemtime);

Keywords

filemtime PHP date and time file name purpose

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