The data format analysis and processing method returned by the timezone_location_get function

In PHP, timezone_location_get() is a very practical function to obtain geographic location information for a specified time zone. It is often used in scenarios where geolocation is required based on time zone data or displaying time zone-related information. This article will analyze the return data format of the timezone_location_get() function in detail and explore how to process these data efficiently.

1. Introduction to timezone_location_get() function

The timezone_location_get() function accepts a DateTimeZone object as a parameter and returns the geographic location information array corresponding to the time zone. The specific usage is as follows:

 $timezone = new DateTimeZone('Asia/Shanghai');
$location = timezone_location_get($timezone);
print_r($location);

2. Return data format detailed explanation

The function returns an associative array with a structure similar to:

 Array
(
    [country_code] => CN
    [latitude] => 31.22222
    [longitude] => 121.45806
    [comments] => Shanghai
)

• country_code : country ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 two letter code.

• latitude : The latitude, floating point number, unit in degrees of the center point of this time zone.

• longitude : The longitude, floating point number, unit in degrees at the center point of this time zone.

• comments : A brief description of the time zone, usually the main city name.

3. How to process these data efficiently

In practical applications, further processing of these data is often necessary, such as:

• Convert coordinate format (convert between degree and minute and second)

• Calculate distance based on latitude and longitude

• Search for country name or logo based on country code

1. Example of coordinate format conversion

 function decimalToDMS($decimal) {
    $degrees = floor($decimal);
    $minutes = floor(($decimal - $degrees) * 60);
    $seconds = round((($decimal - $degrees) * 60 - $minutes) * 60, 2);
    return "{$degrees}°{$minutes}'{$seconds}\"";
}

$latDMS = decimalToDMS($location['latitude']);
$lngDMS = decimalToDMS($location['longitude']);
echo "Latitude: $latDMS, Longitude: $lngDMS";

2. Example of calculating distance between two points (Havushin formula)

 function haversineDistance($lat1, $lng1, $lat2, $lng2) {
    $earthRadius = 6371; // Earth's Radius，Unit is kilometers
    $dLat = deg2rad($lat2 - $lat1);
    $dLng = deg2rad($lng2 - $lng1);

    $a = sin($dLat / 2) * sin($dLat / 2) +
         cos(deg2rad($lat1)) * cos(deg2rad($lat2)) *
         sin($dLng / 2) * sin($dLng / 2);
    $c = 2 * atan2(sqrt($a), sqrt(1 - $a));
    return $earthRadius * $c;
}

// Example：Calculate the distance between Shanghai and Beijing
$beijing = ['latitude' => 39.9042, 'longitude' => 116.4074];
$distance = haversineDistance($location['latitude'], $location['longitude'], $beijing['latitude'], $beijing['longitude']);
echo "The distance between Shanghai and Beijing is about {$distance} kilometer";

3. Obtain national information based on the country code

Country_code can be converted to the full country name through a simple array or a third-party library:

 $countryNames = [
    'CN' => 'China',
    'US' => 'USA',
    'JP' => 'Japan',
    // Can be expanded according to requirements
];

$country = $countryNames[$location['country_code']] ?? 'Unknown country';
echo "Country of time zone：$country";

4. Summary

The geographic information provided by the timezone_location_get() function is simple and intuitive, and is suitable for quickly obtaining the geographic coordinates and country codes corresponding to the time zone. Combining simple coordinate conversion and geographic calculations, it can meet a variety of geographic information display and processing needs.

 <?php
$timezone = new DateTimeZone('Asia/Shanghai');
$location = timezone_location_get($timezone);

function decimalToDMS($decimal) {
    $degrees = floor($decimal);
    $minutes = floor(($decimal - $degrees) * 60);
    $seconds = round((($decimal - $degrees) * 60 - $minutes) * 60, 2);
    return "{$degrees}°{$minutes}'{$seconds}\"";
}

$latDMS = decimalToDMS($location['latitude']);
$lngDMS = decimalToDMS($location['longitude']);

echo "Time zone geographic information:\n";
echo "Country code: " . $location['country_code'] . "\n";
echo "latitude: $latDMS\n";
echo "longitude: $lngDMS\n";
echo "Remark: " . $location['comments'] . "\n";

// Example：Calculate the distance from another location
function haversineDistance($lat1, $lng1, $lat2, $lng2) {
    $earthRadius = 6371;
    $dLat = deg2rad($lat2 - $lat1);
    $dLng = deg2rad($lng2 - $lng1);
    $a = sin($dLat/2) * sin($dLat/2) +
        cos(deg2rad($lat1)) * cos(deg2rad($lat2)) *
        sin($dLng/2) * sin($dLng/2);
    $c = 2 * atan2(sqrt($a), sqrt(1-$a));
    return $earthRadius * $c;
}

$beijing = ['latitude' => 39.9042, 'longitude' => 116.4074];
$distance = haversineDistance($location['latitude'], $location['longitude'], $beijing['latitude'], $beijing['longitude']);
echo "The distance between Shanghai and Beijing is about {$distance} kilometer\n";