Database: Should We Store Datetime or Timestamp?
Datetime or Timestamp? UTC or Local Timezone ?
Databases are an essential part of modern applications, providing a way to store, manage and retrieve data efficiently. One of the most common data types stored in databases is date and time information. This information is crucial for a wide range of applications, such as scheduling events, tracking user behavior and managing resources.
There are two primary ways to store date and time information in databases:- datetime and timestamp. This article will explore the differences between these two data types, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each and provide guidance on whether to store date and time information in UTC format or local timezone-based format.
Understanding the Differences
Datetime and timestamp are both used to store date and time information in databases, but they have some key differences.
Datetime typically represents a single point in time, often with both date and time components. Datetime stores the date and time in a human-readable format, such as ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS’, where YYYY represents the year, MM represents the month, DD represents the day, HH represents the hour, MM represents the minute and SS represents the second.
