Generating timezone with time() and date()

mmarkin

Hi.

I am using time() with date() in PHP to print out the current timezone (EST or EDT) on my site. My concern is in that although my hosting company is located in California (Pacific time), the time setting that my script generates is correct for my location: Eastern time. Will the result of the script change if my page is viewed from, say, Japan? Can anyone clarify this?

Thanks.

Mikhail

archangel_617b

As far as I know, since PHP is server-side, you had better be doing some pretty good stunts to get the correct timezone generated for the client.

Have you tested your page in other timezones? I'm in PST and can at least check it here if you post a link.... Other then that, I don't know. It depends on what you are doing to find where the client is connecting from (I've never done so myself).

Weedpacket

Note that in these forums, you're asked what your local timezone is in your preferences.

Since the time being obtained for your script is being generated by the server it's running on, I have to ask why a server in California would be running on US Eastern time? Unless the script is making a timezone conversion already.

mmarkin

Hi, guys.

No, I am not using any tricks; just

<?php echo(date("T", time())); ?>

If anyone from a timezone other than Eastern can check the page, its at http://www.mikhailmarkin.com/contact.php (In the second line of content, in square brackets after the phone number).

Thanks a lot.

Weedpacket

Well, I'm well outside and I'm seeing [08:00 - 22:00 EST].

Instead of trying to get the client's timezone, how about using the gm*() time functions instead, to give them GMT?

mmarkin

Great! If it comes out as Eastern everywhere, thats exactly what I want! I just used PHP so that I could get the daylight correct (EST or EDT)........ still dont know why the script spits out the good timezone, but what the hell.... if it works, so be it.

Thanks for everything.

Mikhail

mmarkin

For those of you who are interested, I contacted my hosting tech support and they said that their NOC is in fact located in New Jersey, so this explaines the EST/EDT thing.

...

Mikhail

mahers

Looks as though its working i'm getting [08:00 - 22:00 EST] and i'm in EAST timezone.

mmarkin

Yeah, it will work until my hosting company physicall moves (and reconfigures) their hardware to a different timezone. Thanks for your input, everyone.

Mikhail