In what situations is preg_match more suitable than a string comparison for validating input in PHP code?

When validating input in PHP code, preg_match is more suitable than a simple string comparison when you need to check for patterns or specific formats in the input data. This is especially useful when validating complex data like email addresses, phone numbers, or passwords that have specific requirements. Using preg_match allows you to define regular expressions to match against the input, providing more flexibility and accuracy in the validation process.

$input = "example@email.com";

if(preg_match("/^\w+([\.-]?\w+)*@\w+([\.-]?\w+)*(\.\w{2,3})+$/", $input)){
    echo "Input is a valid email address.";
} else {
    echo "Input is not a valid email address.";
}