? PHP Date Function

? Quick Overview

The date() function in PHP formats dates and times into readable strings using format characters. It can work with the current system time or with a custom Unix timestamp.

? Key Concepts

Formats dates using format characters
Uses Unix timestamps internally
Supports custom time values

? Syntax / Theory

? View Code Example

// date() formats a timestamp into a readable date string
date(format, timestamp);

? Code Example 1: Default Timestamp

? View Code Example

// Displays current date and time

? Output Explanation

The current system date and time are formatted as Year-Month-Day Hour:Minute:Second.

? Code Example 2: Custom Timestamp

? View Code Example

// Formats a custom timestamp

? Output Explanation

The timestamp represents Christmas Day 2025 at noon and is formatted accordingly.

? Interactive Example

Click the button to see today’s date using JavaScript formatting.

? View Code Example

// Shows today's date dynamically
document.getElementById("showDate").onclick = () => {
document.getElementById("liveDate").textContent = new Date().toDateString();
};

? Use Cases

Displaying blog post dates
Logging events and errors
Formatting user-friendly timestamps

✅ Tips & Best Practices

Always set the correct timezone using date_default_timezone_set()
Use meaningful date formats for users
Combine with strtotime() for flexibility

? Try It Yourself

Display the date as d-m-Y
Show the day name using l
Convert user input into a formatted date