How can MySQL DATE data type be utilized for managing date-related calculations in PHP?

When working with date-related calculations in PHP, the MySQL DATE data type can be utilized to store and retrieve dates efficiently. By using this data type, you can perform various date operations such as adding or subtracting days, months, or years from a given date. This can be particularly useful when working with date ranges, scheduling tasks, or calculating durations between dates.

// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Get current date from MySQL
$sql = "SELECT CURDATE() AS current_date";
$result = $conn->query($sql);
$row = $result->fetch_assoc();
$current_date = $row['current_date'];

// Perform date calculations
$new_date = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($current_date . ' + 7 days'));

// Output the new date
echo "Current Date: $current_date<br>";
echo "New Date: $new_date";