Using date() Function in PHP to Get Current Date and Time

In PHP, the date() function is a built-in function that can be employed to fetch the current date and time. According to our quiz question, this is the correct way to do so.

The general syntax of the function is as follows:

date(format, timestamp)

• format – This required parameter specifies the format of the returned date and time.
• timestamp – This is an optional parameter. If left out, the current date and time will be used.

Examples of Using date() Function

To get the current date in the format of 'YYYY-MM-DD', the following code could be used:

echo date('Y-m-d');

To get the current time in the format of 'HH:MM:SS', the following code could be used:

echo date('H:i:s');

Indeed, the date() function is highly flexible and can be customized to suit a range of time formats, thus enabling developers to control exactly how their date and time data is presented.

Additional Insights and Best Practices

While the date() function proves to be quite useful in most situations, PHP offers other date and time functions that provide different functionalities, such as getdate() and strtotime(). Depending on the requirements, developers might need to use these functions.

It's also important to note that the date() function will return the date/time of the server PHP is running on. To secure that you have the correct timezone for what you need, consider using date_default_timezone_set() function before retrieving the date/time.

Remember, using the right functions seamlessly will lead not only to a better coding practice, but also cleaner and more efficient code. Therefore, understanding and selection of correct date and time function is equally important for a better outcome.