How can utilizing native PHP functions and classes for date manipulation, such as DateTime and DatePeriod, simplify the code and reduce the reliance on custom date handling functions like mktime()?

Using native PHP functions and classes like DateTime and DatePeriod simplifies date manipulation by providing a more intuitive and standardized way to work with dates. This reduces the need for custom functions like mktime() and makes the code more readable and maintainable.

// Example of using DateTime and DatePeriod to simplify date manipulation
$startDate = new DateTime('2022-01-01');
$endDate = new DateTime('2022-01-31');

$interval = new DateInterval('P1D'); // 1 day interval
$dateRange = new DatePeriod($startDate, $interval, $endDate);

foreach ($dateRange as $date) {
    echo $date->format('Y-m-d') . PHP_EOL;
}