Unix Timestamp (Seconds since epoch)
t = Time . now
# => 2012-11-05 11:12:25 -0500
t . to_i
# => 1352131945
tu = t . utc
# => 2012-11-05 16:12:25 UTC
tu . to_i
# => 1352131945
php > date_default_timezone_set ("UTC " );
php > $ t = new DateTime ("@1352131945 " );
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s " );
2012 -11 -05 16 :12 :25
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s e " );
2012 -11 -05 16 :12 :25 +00 :00
php > $ t ->setTimezone (new DateTimeZone ("America/New_York " ));
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s e " );
2012 -11 -05 11 :12 :25 America/New_York
Generating from Ruby (w/ ActiveSupport)
>> t = Time . now
=> Mon Nov 05 11 :39 :09 -0500 2012
>> tu = t . utc
=> Mon Nov 05 16 :39 :09 UTC 2012
>> t . to_s ( :rfc822 )
=> "Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:39:09 +0000"
>> tu . to_s ( :rfc822 )
=> "Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:39:09 +0000"
irb ( main ) :001 :0 > require 'time'
=> true
irb ( main ) :002 :0 > t = Time . parse ( "Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:39:09 +0000" )
=> 2012 -11 -05 11 :39 :09 -0500
php > date_default_timezone_set ("UTC " );
php > $ t = new DateTime ("Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:39:09 +0000 " );
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s " );
2012 -11 -05 16 :39 :0 9
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s e " );
2012 -11 -05 16 :39 :0 9 +00 :00
php > $ t ->setTimezone (new DateTimeZone ("America/New_York " ));
php > echo date_format ($ t , "Y-m-d H:i:s e " );
2012 -11 -05 11 :39 :0 9 America/New_York