How can PHP developers ensure that date values are properly converted to strings for functions like htmlspecialchars()?

When converting date values to strings for functions like htmlspecialchars(), PHP developers should use the date_format() function to ensure that the date is properly formatted as a string. This function allows developers to specify the format in which the date should be displayed, ensuring that it is safe to use with functions like htmlspecialchars().

$date = new DateTime('2022-01-01');
$formatted_date = date_format($date, 'Y-m-d'); // Format the date as 'YYYY-MM-DD'
$escaped_date = htmlspecialchars($formatted_date);
echo $escaped_date;