What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (Epoch time) is a common standard for managing dates and times in systems and programming languages. It represents the current time solely by the number of "seconds" (or "milliseconds") elapsed since the starting point: "January 1, 1970, 00:00:00" in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Because it allows for the calculation and storage of time without worrying about differences in time zones or languages, it is widely used in servers and databases.
How to Use
- Timestamp to Date: When you input a number like 1700000000 retrieved from a database etc., it is automatically converted into easily readable local time and UTC time like "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss" (Seconds/milliseconds are automatically detected).
- Date to Timestamp: When you specify an arbitrary date and time from the calendar picker, the Unix timestamp (in both seconds and milliseconds formats) for that exact moment is generated and can be copied into your code.
- Current Time: The top of the screen displays the current timestamp ticking in real-time, which can be paused and copied with a click.
Terminology
- Epoch Time: Synonymous with Unix Time. The starting point chosen by the Unix system (Jan 1, 1970).
- UTC: Coordinated Universal Time, the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks.
- Local Time: The offset time specific to the time zone your device is currently configured to.
Common Use Cases
- Debugging database entries that store
created_at flags as an integer.
- Syncing events precisely across microservices in distributed systems.
Security
Date/time calculations and format conversions are performed entirely locally on your device using JavaScript's standard Date object, etc.
