phpBB's storage of time and dates in the database

[hasten]

Post, edit and other times are stored in the database as a int(11) column time (for UNIX timestamp). I would like to ask why the developers chose to do that. Is it faster than yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss?

Database compatibility? Although -- the ANSI SQL standard supports the TIMESTAMP column type, and all the targetted databases phpBB supports can (I believe) accomodate the type.

[Roberdin]

I believe it's for easy conversion into different formats and timezones?

[hasten]

I believe it's for easy conversion into different formats and timezones?

It couldn't be that difficult, could it? It's just a combination of strtotime() and date(), isn't it?

[Roberdin]

Well why bother to change it? Soemthing wrong with time()?

yyyy-mm-dd is used for birthdays, AFAIK.

[hasten]

Well why bother to change it? Soemthing wrong with time()?

yyyy-mm-dd is used for birthdays, AFAIK.

The SQL column type "TIMESTAMP" is yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss

[q3utom]

I believe unix time format is more flexible and faster.

[Roberdin]

The SQL column type "TIMESTAMP" is yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss

I'm aware of that, merely pre-empting questions regarding how phpBB can store dates that occured before the Unix Epoch.

[CLee]

It is much easier and faster to use the time() function, which gives the same results based in the Unix Epoch regardless of the time zone you are in, and convert the results to whatever format you need using the built in PHP functions.

[hasten]

I believe unix time format is more flexible and faster.

It is much easier and faster to use the time() function, which gives the same results based in the Unix Epoch regardless of the time zone you are in, and convert the results to whatever format you need using the built in PHP functions.

If time calculations of UNIX epoch values are faster, then I see why the developers chose to use it.

I only asked about this because of the 2038 bug, but in retrospect we have 33 years before that becomes a problem.

I guess by then, 32-bit computers will be a thing of the past, vendors will upgrade their systems and we won't be running phpBB 3.0... maybe phpBB 25.0.

[APTX]

Wouldn't it be common sense to a) count timestamps for 12 digit numbers or b) rest the time to 2038 (from 1970)? I'll be 50 by the time that bug beocomes reality...