In PHP, when reading and comparing dates from a file, is there a more efficient way to format the date for comparison rather than using getdate() and sprintf()?

When reading and comparing dates from a file in PHP, a more efficient way to format the date for comparison is to use the DateTime class. This class provides a more object-oriented approach to handling dates and times, making it easier to compare dates accurately.

$dateString = '2022-01-01';
$dateTime = new DateTime($dateString);
$formattedDate = $dateTime->format('Y-m-d');

// Now $formattedDate can be used for comparison with other dates