What role does the server's clock settings play in PHP scripts that rely on accurate time and date information?

The server's clock settings play a crucial role in PHP scripts that rely on accurate time and date information because PHP functions like date() and time() depend on the server's clock to provide the correct time and date. If the server's clock settings are incorrect, it can lead to inaccurate time and date information being displayed in the PHP scripts. To ensure accurate time and date information in PHP scripts, it is important to set the correct timezone in the PHP configuration file or within the script itself using the date_default_timezone_set() function. This function sets the default timezone used by all date/time functions in the script, ensuring that the correct time and date information is displayed regardless of the server's clock settings.

// Set the default timezone to your desired timezone
date_default_timezone_set('America/New_York');

// Now all date/time functions will use the specified timezone
echo date('Y-m-d H:i:s'); // Output: current date and time in the specified timezone