Getting the Unix timestamp corresponding to dates in PHP can be implemented in a variety of ways. Common methods include: 1. Use the strtotime() function to be suitable for date strings in common formats, which are concise but sensitive to formats; 2. Use DateTime::createFromFormat() to parse date strings in fixed specific formats to improve accuracy; 3. When processing dates with time zone information, you can parse them through the DateTime class in combination with getTimestamp() or strtotime(), and the time zone can be adjusted uniformly. Select the appropriate method according to the scene and pay attention to input verification to avoid errors.
Getting the Unix timestamp corresponding to the date is a common operation in PHP and the method is relatively simple. PHP provides several functions to implement this function, the most commonly used are strtotime() and DateTime classes.
The following are several practical methods that are suitable for needs in different scenarios.
Use the strtotime() function
This is the most direct and commonly used method for converting readable dates to Unix timestamps:
$dateString = "2025-04-05"; $timestamp = strtotime($dateString);
- Advantages: The writing is concise and suitable for common formats.
- Note: If the incoming date format is not standardized or not recognized, the return value will be
false.
Some common supported formats include:
-
"2025-04-05" -
"April 5, 2025" -
"2025/04/05" - Even those with time are like
"2025-04-05 14:30:00"
If you cannot control the input format, it is recommended to use it with DateTime::createFromFormat() for more secure use.
Use the DateTime class to handle more complex date formats
When you need to parse date strings in a specific format (such as "05-Apr-2025" ), it is recommended to use DateTime::createFromFormat() :
$dateString = "05-Apr-2025";
$date = DateTime::createFromFormat('dM-Y', $dateString);
if ($date) {
echo $date->getTimestamp();
}- This method is more accurate and avoids the problems caused by confusion in formats.
- If you are dealing with data files in fixed format or API returns data, this writing method is more reliable.
Processing time strings with time zones
If your date string contains time zone information, for example ISO8601 format:
$dateString = "2025-04-05T12:00:00 08:00"; $timestamp = strtotime($dateString); // Valid// Or use DateTime $date = new DateTime($dateString); echo $date->getTimestamp();
- Both of the above methods can correctly parse dates with time zones.
- If you need to uniformly compute into a certain time zone, you can call
setTimezone()method after creating the object.
In general, strtotime() is enough for simple scenarios; when encountering complex formats or requiring higher precision, it is more appropriate to use DateTime . Pay attention to basic verification of the input to prevent errors caused by invalid format.
Basically that's it.
The above is the detailed content of php get unix timestamp from date. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
Hot AI Tools
Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free
Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos
AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.
Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover
Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!
Hot Article
Hot Tools
Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor
SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use
Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment
Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools
SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)
Hot Topics
What are some best practices for versioning a PHP-based API?
Jun 14, 2025 am 12:27 AM
ToversionaPHP-basedAPIeffectively,useURL-basedversioningforclarityandeaseofrouting,separateversionedcodetoavoidconflicts,deprecateoldversionswithclearcommunication,andconsidercustomheadersonlywhennecessary.StartbyplacingtheversionintheURL(e.g.,/api/v
How do I implement authentication and authorization in PHP?
Jun 20, 2025 am 01:03 AM
TosecurelyhandleauthenticationandauthorizationinPHP,followthesesteps:1.Alwayshashpasswordswithpassword_hash()andverifyusingpassword_verify(),usepreparedstatementstopreventSQLinjection,andstoreuserdatain$_SESSIONafterlogin.2.Implementrole-basedaccessc
What are the differences between procedural and object-oriented programming paradigms in PHP?
Jun 14, 2025 am 12:25 AM
Proceduralandobject-orientedprogramming(OOP)inPHPdiffersignificantlyinstructure,reusability,anddatahandling.1.Proceduralprogrammingusesfunctionsorganizedsequentially,suitableforsmallscripts.2.OOPorganizescodeintoclassesandobjects,modelingreal-worlden
What are weak references (WeakMap) in PHP, and when might they be useful?
Jun 14, 2025 am 12:25 AM
PHPdoesnothaveabuilt-inWeakMapbutoffersWeakReferenceforsimilarfunctionality.1.WeakReferenceallowsholdingreferenceswithoutpreventinggarbagecollection.2.Itisusefulforcaching,eventlisteners,andmetadatawithoutaffectingobjectlifecycles.3.YoucansimulateaWe
How can you handle file uploads securely in PHP?
Jun 19, 2025 am 01:05 AM
To safely handle file uploads in PHP, the core is to verify file types, rename files, and restrict permissions. 1. Use finfo_file() to check the real MIME type, and only specific types such as image/jpeg are allowed; 2. Use uniqid() to generate random file names and store them in non-Web root directory; 3. Limit file size through php.ini and HTML forms, and set directory permissions to 0755; 4. Use ClamAV to scan malware to enhance security. These steps effectively prevent security vulnerabilities and ensure that the file upload process is safe and reliable.
How can you interact with NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Redis) from PHP?
Jun 19, 2025 am 01:07 AM
Yes, PHP can interact with NoSQL databases like MongoDB and Redis through specific extensions or libraries. First, use the MongoDBPHP driver (installed through PECL or Composer) to create client instances and operate databases and collections, supporting insertion, query, aggregation and other operations; second, use the Predis library or phpredis extension to connect to Redis, perform key-value settings and acquisitions, and recommend phpredis for high-performance scenarios, while Predis is convenient for rapid deployment; both are suitable for production environments and are well-documented.
What are the differences between == (loose comparison) and === (strict comparison) in PHP?
Jun 19, 2025 am 01:07 AM
In PHP, the main difference between == and == is the strictness of type checking. ==Type conversion will be performed before comparison, for example, 5=="5" returns true, and ===Request that the value and type are the same before true will be returned, for example, 5==="5" returns false. In usage scenarios, === is more secure and should be used first, and == is only used when type conversion is required.
How do I perform arithmetic operations in PHP ( , -, *, /, %)?
Jun 19, 2025 pm 05:13 PM
The methods of using basic mathematical operations in PHP are as follows: 1. Addition signs support integers and floating-point numbers, and can also be used for variables. String numbers will be automatically converted but not recommended to dependencies; 2. Subtraction signs use - signs, variables are the same, and type conversion is also applicable; 3. Multiplication signs use * signs, which are suitable for numbers and similar strings; 4. Division uses / signs, which need to avoid dividing by zero, and note that the result may be floating-point numbers; 5. Taking the modulus signs can be used to judge odd and even numbers, and when processing negative numbers, the remainder signs are consistent with the dividend. The key to using these operators correctly is to ensure that the data types are clear and the boundary situation is handled well.
