What are the advantages of using anonymous functions and closures in PHP when sorting and filtering arrays of dates?

When sorting and filtering arrays of dates in PHP, using anonymous functions and closures can provide a more flexible and concise way to define custom sorting and filtering criteria. Anonymous functions allow you to define sorting and filtering logic inline without the need to create separate named functions. Closures also enable you to encapsulate and reuse sorting and filtering logic within the context of a specific operation.

// Example of sorting an array of dates using an anonymous function
$dates = ['2022-01-15', '2021-12-20', '2022-02-10', '2022-01-01'];

usort($dates, function($a, $b) {
    return strtotime($a) - strtotime($b);
});

print_r($dates);

// Example of filtering an array of dates using a closure
$dates = ['2022-01-15', '2021-12-20', '2022-02-10', '2022-01-01'];

$filteredDates = array_filter($dates, function($date) {
    return strtotime($date) > strtotime('2022-01-01');
});

print_r($filteredDates);