What are some best practices for checking and comparing dates and times in PHP?

When checking and comparing dates and times in PHP, it's important to ensure that the dates are in the correct format and timezone to avoid any discrepancies. One best practice is to use the DateTime class, which provides a range of methods for comparing dates and times accurately.

// Example: Checking if a date is in the past
$date = new DateTime('2022-01-01');
$now = new DateTime();

if ($date < $now) {
    echo 'The date is in the past';
} else {
    echo 'The date is in the future';
}