Common Configuration Issues and Solutions When Using date_default_timezone_get() to Retrieve Timezones

<span><span><span class="hljs-meta"><?php</span></span><span>
</span><span><span class="hljs-comment">// This part is unrelated to the main article and serves only as a sample preamble content</span></span><span>
</span><span><span class="hljs-keyword">echo</span></span><span> </span><span><span class="hljs-string">"Sample code snippet: Current default timezone => "</span></span><span> . </span><span><span class="hljs-title function_ invoke__">date_default_timezone_get</span></span><span>();
</span><span><span class="hljs-meta">?></span></span><span>
<p><hr></p>
<p><h1>Common Configuration Issues and Solutions When Using </span>date_default_timezone_get() to Retrieve Timezones</h1></p>
<p><p>During PHP development, <code>date_default_timezone_get</span>

After modifying, restart the PHP or web server.

3. Inconsistent Web Server and CLI Environments

Sometimes, executing scripts in CLI mode differs from the web environment, causing date_default_timezone_get() to return different results.

Solution: Ensure that the php.ini configuration is consistent between CLI and web environments, or explicitly set the timezone in code using date_default_timezone_set().

4. Influence of Operating System Environment Variables

On some systems, if PHP cannot determine the timezone from configuration files, it may rely on system environment variables (like TZ). This is common in Docker containers or certain Linux distributions.

Solution: Check and set the system environment variable, or directly specify the timezone in code to avoid external influences.

5. Common Best Practices

• Always explicitly call date_default_timezone_set() during project initialization.
• Keep timezone settings consistent across development, testing, and production environments.
• For internationalized projects, using UTC as a standard timezone is recommended, converting to local time only when displaying to users.

Conclusion

date_default_timezone_get() is an essential tool for troubleshooting PHP time-related issues. Developers should understand its underlying configuration logic to avoid errors caused by timezone inconsistencies. Properly configuring php.ini, aligning CLI and web environment timezone settings, and explicitly setting the default timezone in code can effectively prevent most common problems.