What is the significance of using microtime in the URL of image files generated by PHP?

Using microtime in the URL of image files generated by PHP is significant because it helps to ensure that the browser fetches the latest version of the image each time it is requested. This prevents caching issues where the browser may display an outdated version of the image. By appending microtime to the URL, a unique timestamp is added to the image file path, forcing the browser to fetch the updated image every time. 

<?php
$imagePath = 'images/image.jpg';
$imageUrl = $imagePath . '?' . microtime(true);

echo '<img src="' . $imageUrl . '" alt="Generated Image">';
?>

Keywords

microtime URL image files PHP significance

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