What alternative functions can be used in PHP to handle date comparisons more effectively than string comparisons?

When comparing dates in PHP, it is more effective to use date-specific functions like `strtotime()` or `DateTime` objects rather than relying on string comparisons. These functions allow for more precise date comparisons and handling of different date formats, timezones, and edge cases. 

$date1 = strtotime('2022-01-01');
$date2 = strtotime('2022-02-01');

if ($date1 < $date2) {
    echo 'Date 1 is before Date 2';
} else {
    echo 'Date 1 is after Date 2';
}

Keywords

PHP date comparisons functions strtotime DateTime

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