What is Timestamp?
The timestamp is a sequence of different characters or information that has been encoded to help in the identification of the time an event will occur. It is usually centered around the use of date and the time of the day. In a computer, the time stamp shows the time an event was first recorded by a computer. It does not necessarily focus on the time the event happens.
What is the Unix Timestamp?
The Unix timestamp refers to the number of seconds that have been spent since January 1, 1970, without the inclusion of leap seconds. It will convert the timestamps in using the second, the milliseconds and microseconds methods to read dates.
The period of its usage will, however, cease to be on January 19, 2038 because at that time 32-bits will overflow and have no space to be used in the operation of timestamps. The indication of this is that different application must fathom ways of adopting a new means of creating a timestamp or the migrate their system to 64-bit system.
So, we can conclude that it is a mean of running total of seconds that can be counted between a specific date and the Unix Epoch. At this point, it will be wise to note that the time will not technically undergo a change regardless of your current location. However, it is a form that helps computer keep track and sort out information according to their date as they are spread across the internet.
What is Unix Time Converter?
Unix time converter is any software or application that can easily convert the timestamp without much fuse. This converter will definitely have the ability to change the time inputted into it. This converter can either be used to bring back information from a very old time or can be used to confirm the information from old time.
They are designed in such a way that they can easily convert to the time zone of any country. All the user has to do is to pick the time he or she desires. Despite that, the results are made to come out with the universal time zone.
These converters were created in such a way that they can either be used to calculate date or time only. The only problem these converters tend to have is to be restricted to a certain time especially when they are used by a 32-bit software.
The first restriction is that the converter will stop working on 19 January, 2038. Also, it cannot go beyond times before 1900.
Yet, one cannot overlook the numerous benefits coders have garnered from it especially in the aspect of getting a good means of converting the time of their works without any problem whatsoever.
When You Should Use a Timestamp Converter?
The information you give a Unix timestamp can be interpreted in the same manner no matter when the calculation is being done or the time zone of the place the calculation was done. The implication of this is that you when you input this filter to a web application that is used by people of different regions, it will change the time according to their time zone.
Why You Should Use Unix Timestamp Converter?
Unix Timestamp converter comes in different formats and have been created into a lot of software and websites that allow you to easily change the formats from Unix to date and back. With the presence of a converter, you will have no need to go through the rigour of calculating the second, hour, day, month and year (which only human can understand) needed for the computer to perform real-time actions. The Epoch or Unix time converter has the function of making it easy to perform your actions without giving you the problem of doing this yourself.
For coders, using Unix Timestamp has more advantages that you can ever fathom:
- With Unix timestamp, you can easily manipulate information as regards PHQ and MySQL
- With Unix Timestamp, you can easily represent a small range of time so far it is within 1901-2038.
- When you have the means of converting the normal date to Epoch, it will be easy to work in a more compatible manner as the languages will easily convert and work as easily as you want it.
- With Unix Timestamp, you can easily store and create dates for your information.
Common Time Measurement in Unix Timestamp/ Epoch Time
Find below, a common example of the time measurement and how it is used in Unix timestamp.
One millisecond = 1/1000 in Unix Time
One second = 1 in Unix time
One minute = 60 in Unix time
10 minutes = 600 in Unix time
One month = 2,419,200 for 28-day month, 2505,6000 for 29-day months, 2,595,600 for 30-day months and 2,678,4000 for 31 days’ months
One year = 31,536,000 in Unix time
Hot to Use a Unix Timestamp
This is a basic way of changing time from Unix and back to normal language. Firstly, you need to understand this can only be done through a software or web tool.
To convert your time, go to the editable boards to input the dates you want. When you want to use it, you might find the date set to the present day. All you need to do is to select the date you want. The format is in the YYYY/MM/DD HH/MM/SS. Below this boards, you will find two-time stamp converters. The first has been built to help in the conversions of time from the normal time to a Unix timestamp while the second converter was created to do the opposite of the first.
After you have inputted your information, click on the information as regards the timestamp you want it to be converted to.
How to Convert Between Date and Unix Timestamp in Excel?
Are you having trouble changing Date to Unix timestamp due to some hiccups on the use of tools, then you already have means at hand. With the excel sheet, you can easily convert both Unix timestamp and date.
- For Date to Timestamp
- Select a blank cell
- Type this formula = (A1-Date (1970,1,1)) *86400 into the blank cell and press ‘Enter’. This will help you convert the date to a timestamp without much trouble.
Convert Date and Time to Timestamp
Also if you need to quickly convert the timestamp for date and time, all you need to do is to create a means of doing so.
- Input the days in a cell
- Type the coordinated universal time into a cell, 1/1/1970.
- Type the formula, =(A1-$C$1)*86400 into a cell, then press the Enter Key.
Converting Timestamp to Date
Also, if you need to convert timestamp to date, it is also simple.
- Next to your timestamp list, type this formula (((A1/60)/60/24)+DATE(1970,1,1) then click the ‘Enter’ key’.
- Then point your cursor on the cell with the converted numbers and right click. It will drop down a list of information.
- Select ‘Format Cell’.
- Under the format cell, you will see ‘Number, ‘Alignment’, Font, Border, Fill, and Protection. Pick ‘number’.
- It will open you to various selections. Select Date, it will show you the date formats, pick the one of your choices, and there you have your conversion.
- This formula can also be used to convert Timestamp to time and date. All you need to do is to pick the time and date.
What is Strtotime()?
Strtotime () is a string used to convert date to a Unix timestamp. The function is created with the purpose of expecting a string of information that is written in an English date format. When this information has been inputted, it will then proceed to parse the information and change the format from the English format to Unix timestamp. You should remember that the number of seconds will be calculated from the date fixed, January 1 1970 00:00:00 UTC, when compared to the time you input into the converter and, in case you refuse to input a time, its calculation will be based on the present time.
And one other thing that makes it unique is that it sticks to the universal time zone and would only change when you input a specific time code. This suggests that you must avoid changing the time zone unless it was your initial intention.
So, if you want to have the Unix timestamp for a particular date let’s say 1 August 2018, then you will use the Strtotime() in this manner:
Echo strtotime (“1 August 2018”), “\n”
Moreover, if you are not sure of the date and time, it can still work with relative time and date. Thus, you can have something like
Echo strtotime(“+5 month”),”\n.
Echo strtotime(“last day of the next two month”),”\n.
Strtotime() is such that can be written in a more complex manner Yet, it has its own limitation. When used on a 32-bit system, it will not take more than the integer 2,147,483,647. And the time you can use on it is also limited. You are allowed to get to only 03:14:07 UTC on Tuesday, 19 January 2038, which many people have called the Year 2038 problem.
More so, some platforms do not allow you to use dates that are far below January 1, 1970.