How can PHP functions like date() be effectively used to compare dates stored in a MySQL database with the current date for display purposes?

To compare dates stored in a MySQL database with the current date for display purposes, you can use the PHP date() function to format the dates in a consistent manner for comparison. Retrieve the date from the database, format it using date() function, and then compare it with the current date also formatted using date() function. This allows you to easily determine if a date is in the past, present, or future for display purposes.

// Retrieve date from MySQL database
$dateFromDatabase = "2022-01-15";

// Format date from database
$formattedDateFromDatabase = date("Y-m-d", strtotime($dateFromDatabase));

// Get current date
$currentDate = date("Y-m-d");

// Compare dates
if($formattedDateFromDatabase < $currentDate) {
    echo "Date is in the past";
} elseif($formattedDateFromDatabase == $currentDate) {
    echo "Date is today";
} else {
    echo "Date is in the future";
}