How can one avoid common mistakes when working with dates in PHP?

When working with dates in PHP, common mistakes can be avoided by ensuring proper formatting, using the correct functions for date manipulation, and handling time zones appropriately. It's important to validate user input to prevent errors and inconsistencies in date handling.

$dateString = '2022-01-15';
$dateTime = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d', $dateString);
if($dateTime){
    $formattedDate = $dateTime->format('Y-m-d');
    echo $formattedDate;
} else {
    echo 'Invalid date format';
}