Timestamp

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A timestamp is a sequence of characters, denoting the date and/or time at which a certain event occurred. This data is usually presented in a consistent format, allowing for easy comparison of two different records and tracking progress over time; the practice of recording timestamps in a consistent manner along with the actual data is called timestamping.

Timestamps are typically used for logging events, in which case each event in a log is marked with a timestamp. In filesystems, timestamp may mean the stored date/time of creation or modification of a file.

Examples of timestamps:

2005-10-30 T 10:45 UTC
2007-11-09 T 11:20 UTC 
Sat Jul 23 02:16:57 2005

[edit] Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has defined ISO 8601 which standardizes timestamps.

[edit] Other meanings

Timestamp can also refer to:

• A time code (in networking or video technology)
• Unix time, the number of seconds since 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970
• ICMP Timestamp
• A digitally signed timestamp whose signer vouches for the existence of the signed document or content at the time given as part of the digital signature
• The modification or access time of a file or directory in a computer file system or database