To get the current time of the specified time zone, it is recommended to use the DateTime class with DateTimeZone. The steps are: 1. Create a DateTimeZone object; 2. Create a DateTime object with the current time and bind the time zone; 3. Format the output time. Common time zones include Asia/Shanghai, Europe/London, etc., and the full list can be viewed through DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers(). If you are used to procedural writing, you can use date_default_timezone_set() to set the default time zone and call date() to output the time, but this method will affect the global time settings. Note that the time zone name must be accurate. In the formatted string, H represents 24-hour system and h represents 12-hour system to avoid errors.

It is not difficult to obtain the current time of a specific time zone in PHP, but many people may confuse the difference between several functions when they use it for the first time. Let me directly talk about the key point: using DateTime class with DateTimeZone is the most recommended method . It is flexible and clear, and supports time zone conversion.

How to get the current time in a specified time zone using PHP?

PHP provides object-oriented DateTime and DateTimeZone classes to handle time and time zone issues. The basic process is to create an object of the current time, then set the target time zone, and finally format the output.

Sample code:

 $timezone = new DateTimeZone('America/New_York');
$currentTime = new DateTime('now', $timezone);
echo $currentTime->format('Ymd H:i:s');

This will output the current time in New York. You can replace 'America/New_York' with any time zone name you want to get.

What are the common available time zones?

PHP supports a lot of time zones, covering major cities and regions around the world. You can use the name of the IANA time zone database to specify, for example:

• Asia/Shanghai
• Europe/London
• Australia/Sydney
• America/Los_Angeles

If you are not sure about the time zone name corresponding to a certain region, you can run the following line of code to view all supported time zone lists:

 print_r(DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers());

This method is especially suitable for debugging or developing multi-language and multi-region projects.

What if you don't want to use object-oriented approach?

Although it is recommended to use the DateTime class, if you are used to procedural writing, you can also use date_default_timezone_set() to set the default time zone, and then use date() function to output the time.

Example:

 date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Tokyo');
echo date('Ymd H:i:s');

This method is simpler and more intuitive, but the disadvantage is that once set, it will affect the behavior of all subsequent time-related functions in the entire script , so it is not suitable for scenarios where time zones need to be frequently switched.

Small details need attention

• The time zone name should be accurate , for example, do not write it as Beijing or Tokyo , but use an officially recognized name, such as Asia/Shanghai .
• Server time may not be what you want , so you cannot rely on the default time and the time zone must be set explicitly.
• H in the formatted string is 24 hours and h is 12 hours, don't make any mistake.

Basically that's it. The operation is not complicated, but it is easy to ignore in some places, especially the time zone name and formatting part.

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