<span><span><span><?php</span></span>
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<span>date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Shanghai');</span>
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<p><hr></p>
<p></span><span><span><?php</span></span><br>
<span>/*</p>
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<p>How to Use gmdate and getdate Together? A Complete Guide to Date Handling Best Practices</p>
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<p>Handling dates and times in PHP is a common requirement. gmdate and getdate are two important</p>
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<p>date-time functions, each with distinct purposes and characteristics. Using them together</p>
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<p>appropriately makes date handling more flexible and efficient.</p>
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<ol>
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<p>Overview of gmdate()</p>
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<p>The gmdate() function returns a formatted date string in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),</p>
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<p>similar to date(), but unaffected by time zones and always returning UTC time.</p>
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<p>Syntax: gmdate(string $format, int|null $timestamp = null): string</p>
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<p>$format is the same as the date() function</p>
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<p>$timestamp defaults to the current time</p>
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<p>Overview of getdate()</p>
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<p>The getdate() function returns an associative array containing detailed time information for a given timestamp.</p>
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<p>Syntax: getdate(int|null $timestamp = null): array</p>
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<p>The returned array includes elements such as year, month, day, hours, minutes, seconds, weekday, yday, etc.</p>
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<p>When to Use Them Together</p>
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<p>When you need both a formatted time string and structured time data</p>
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<p>For time zone conversions: first get UTC format with gmdate, then parse specific components with getdate</p>
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<p>Example Code<br>
*/</span></p>
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<p></span><span><span>// Get the current UTC time as a formatted string</span></span><br>
</span><span><span>$utcString</span> = <span class="function_ invoke__">gmdate</span>('Y-m-d H:i:s');<br>
<span>echo</span> "Current UTC time (string format): <span>{$utcString}</span>\n";</p>
<p></span><span><span>// Get the detailed array information of the current UTC time</span></span><br>
</span><span><span>$utcTimestamp</span> = <span class="function_ invoke__">time</span>(); <span>// current timestamp</span><br>
</span><span><span>$utcDateArray</span> = <span class="function_ invoke__">getdate</span>($utcTimestamp);</p>
<p></span><span><span>// Note: getdate returns local time by default; for UTC, combine with gmdate or use the DateTime class</span></span><br>
</span><span><span>// Here, we demonstrate parsing back into getdate using a timestamp from gmdate</span></span><br>
</span><span><span>$utcTimestampFromGmdate</span> = <span class="function_ invoke__">strtotime</span>(<span class="function_ invoke__">gmdate</span>('Y-m-d H:i:s'));<br>
</span><span><span>$utcDateArray</span> = <span class="function_ invoke__">getdate</span>($utcTimestampFromGmdate);</p>
<p><span>echo</span> "Detailed information of current UTC time:\n";<br>
<span class="function_ invoke__">print_r</span>($utcDateArray);</p>
<p><span>/*</p>
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<p>5. Best Practices for Date Handling</p>
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<p>For projects involving multiple time zones, prioritize gmdate for standard time to avoid confusion</p>
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<p>The array returned by getdate is suitable for decomposing dates and logical checks, but mind the time zone</p>
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<p>PHP 5.2+ recommends using DateTime and DateTimeZone classes; combined with gmdate/getdate, this increases flexibility</p>
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<p>Always use integer timestamps to avoid format inconsistencies from string-based times<br>
*/</span></p>
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