A timestamp is a sequential number that represents a point in time. It is commonly expressed as the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have elapsed since the Unix epoch (January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC). Timestamps are used extensively in computer systems for storing and comparing dates and times.
Feature | Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|---|
Representation | Numerical, easy to compare | Not human-readable without conversion |
Storage | Efficient storage | Requires conversion for display to user |