Are there any best practices or recommended functions in PHP for handling date comparisons?

When comparing dates in PHP, it is recommended to use the DateTime class along with its methods for accurate and reliable date comparisons. The DateTime class provides a range of methods for comparing dates, such as comparing if one date is greater than, less than, or equal to another date. This ensures that date comparisons are handled correctly, taking into account factors like timezones and daylight saving time.

$date1 = new DateTime('2022-01-01');
$date2 = new DateTime('2022-01-15');

if ($date1 < $date2) {
    echo "Date 1 is before Date 2";
} elseif ($date1 > $date2) {
    echo "Date 1 is after Date 2";
} else {
    echo "Date 1 is equal to Date 2";
}