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PHP Date() Function
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The PHP date() function is used to format a time and/or date.
The PHP Date() Function
The PHP date() function formats a timestamp to a more readable date and time.
A timestamp is a sequence of characters, denoting the date and/or time at which a certain event occurred.
Syntax
| date(format,timestamp) |
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| format | Required. Specifies the format of the timestamp |
| timestamp | Optional. Specifies a timestamp. Default is the current date and time |
PHP Date() - Format the Date
The required format parameter in the date() function specifies how to format the date/time.
Here are some characters that can be used:
- d - Represents the day of the month (01 to 31)
- m - Represents a month (01 to 12)
- Y - Represents a year (in four digits)
A list of all the characters that can be used in the format parameter, can be found in ourPHP Date reference.
Other characters, like"/", ".", or "-" can also be inserted between the letters to add additional formatting:
| <?php echo date("Y/m/d") . "<br />"; echo date("Y.m.d") . "<br />"; echo date("Y-m-d") ?> |
The output of the code above could be something like this:
| 2009/05/11 2009.05.11 2009-05-11 |
PHP Date() - Adding a Timestamp
The optional timestamp parameter in the date() function specifies a timestamp. If you do not specify a timestamp, the current date and time will be used.
The mktime() function returns the Unix timestamp for a date.
The Unix timestamp contains the number of seconds between the Unix Epoch (January 1 1970 00:00:00 GMT) and the time specified.
Syntax for mktime()
| mktime(hour,minute,second,month,day,year,is_dst) |
To go one day in the future we simply add one to the day argument of mktime():
| <?php $tomorrow = mktime(0,0,0,date("m"),date("d")+1,date("Y")); echo "Tomorrow is ".date("Y/m/d", $tomorrow); ?> |
The output of the code above could be something like this:
| Tomorrow is 2009/05/12 |
Complete PHP Date Reference
For a complete reference of all date functions, go to our complete PHP Date Reference.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
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