How can PHP's NOW() function be effectively used to compare dates from a database?

When comparing dates from a database using PHP's NOW() function, it is important to ensure that the dates are in a format that can be compared effectively. One way to do this is by using the DATE_FORMAT() function in SQL to format the dates in a consistent manner. This allows for accurate date comparisons using PHP. 

// Assuming we have a MySQL database connection established

// Query to select records where the date is before the current date
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE DATE_FORMAT(date_column, '%Y-%m-%d') < NOW()";

$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0){
    while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)){
        // Process each row as needed
    }
} else {
    echo "No records found.";
}

Keywords

PHP NOW() function date comparison database SQL

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