What are some best practices for storing and comparing date and time values in a PHP application?

When storing and comparing date and time values in a PHP application, it is best practice to use the DateTime class for accurate and reliable handling of dates and times. This class provides methods for creating, formatting, and comparing date and time values, ensuring consistency across different timezones and daylight saving time changes.

// Storing a date and time value in a variable
$date = new DateTime('2022-01-01 12:00:00');

// Comparing two date and time values
$now = new DateTime();
if ($date > $now) {
    echo 'The stored date is in the future.';
} else {
    echo 'The stored date is in the past.';
}