How to Change Date Format in PHP

Working with dates and times is an essential part of almost every web application. PHP provides a robust set of functions to manipulate and format dates, making it easy to display dates in the format you need. One of the most common tasks is changing the date format to match specific requirements, whether you’re showing it in a user’s preferred format or ensuring compatibility with databases or APIs.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into how to change the date format in PHP, with examples and practical tips to help you work effectively with dates in your PHP projects.

The date() Function in PHP

The date() function in PHP is the primary way to format dates. This function allows you to format a given timestamp into a readable date string according to a specific format.

Syntax:

date(format, timestamp);

• format: A string that defines the format in which you want the date to be displayed.
• timestamp (optional): A Unix timestamp (number of seconds since January 1, 1970). If this argument is not provided, date() uses the current time.

Common Date Format Characters

PHP uses specific format characters that can be combined to create a custom date format. Here are some of the most commonly used characters:

Example 1: Basic Date Formatting

Let’s start by formatting the current date in different formats.

<?php
// Current date in different formats
echo date("Y-m-d") . "<br>"; // Output: 2025-01-21
echo date("d/m/Y") . "<br>"; // Output: 21/01/2025
echo date("l, F j, Y") . "<br>"; // Output: Monday, January 21, 2025
?>

In this example:

• Y-m-d formats the date as “2025-01-21”
• d/m/Y formats the date as “21/01/2025”
• l, F j, Y formats the date as “Monday, January 21, 2025”

Example 2: Formatting a Custom Date

You may want to change the format of an existing date (not the current date). For example, let’s convert the date "2025-01-21" into a different format.

<?php
$date = "2025-01-21";

// Convert to timestamp
$timestamp = strtotime($date);

// Format the timestamp into a different date format
echo date("d/m/Y", $timestamp) . "<br>"; // Output: 21/01/2025
echo date("F j, Y", $timestamp) . "<br>"; // Output: January 21, 2025
?>

Here, we used the strtotime() function to convert a date string into a Unix timestamp, and then applied the date() function to format it as needed.

Example 3: Formatting Dates with Time

If you need to include time in your date format, you can use the hour, minute, and second characters. Here’s an example that formats both the date and time:

<?php
echo date("Y-m-d H:i:s") . "<br>"; // Output: 2025-01-21 15:30:45
?>

This will display the current date and time in the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.

Example 4: Formatting Using a Specific Timestamp

If you have a Unix timestamp and want to format it in a readable way, you can use the same date() function. Let’s say you have a timestamp for January 21, 2025, at 3:30:45 PM:

<?php
$timestamp = 1737853845; // Unix timestamp for Jan 21, 2025, 15:30:45
echo date("d/m/Y H:i:s", $timestamp) . "<br>"; // Output: 21/01/2025 15:30:45
?>

This example uses a hardcoded timestamp and formats it into the d/m/Y H:i:s format.

Example 5: Converting Between Time Zones

PHP also allows you to handle time zones while formatting dates. You can use the DateTime class for this purpose, which provides more flexibility and functionality than the date() function alone.

<?php
// Create a DateTime object with a specific timezone
$date = new DateTime("2025-01-21 15:30:45", new DateTimeZone("UTC"));
$date->setTimezone(new DateTimeZone("America/New_York"));

// Format the date
echo $date->format("Y-m-d H:i:s") . "<br>"; // Output: 2025-01-21 10:30:45
?>

This example shows how to convert a date from one timezone (UTC) to another (Eastern Standard Time).

Example 6: Displaying Date in User-Friendly Format

Sometimes, you may need to display the date in a more user-friendly or readable format. Here’s an example:

<?php
$date = "2025-01-21";

// Convert to timestamp
$timestamp = strtotime($date);

// Format the date as a friendly string
echo date("l, F j, Y", $timestamp) . "<br>"; // Output: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
?>

This format provides a more conversational display, such as “Tuesday, January 21, 2025”.

Conclusion

Changing the date format in PHP is easy using the date() function. By leveraging various format characters and timestamp functions, you can display dates in almost any format you need. Whether you’re displaying the current date, formatting a specific timestamp, or converting between time zones, PHP provides the tools necessary to format dates for your web application.

As you work on more advanced date-related tasks, consider using PHP’s DateTime class for more flexibility, especially when handling time zones, dates in different formats, or performing date calculations.

Happy coding!