What are the best practices for formatting datetime values in PHP to ensure accurate comparisons in database queries?

When working with datetime values in PHP for database queries, it is important to format the datetime values consistently to ensure accurate comparisons. One common best practice is to use the ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS) as it is widely recognized and sortable. Additionally, using PHP's DateTime class can help with formatting and manipulating datetime values effectively.

// Example of formatting datetime values using ISO 8601 format
$datetime = new DateTime('2022-01-01 12:00:00');
$formatted_datetime = $datetime->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');

// Now $formatted_datetime can be used in database queries for accurate comparisons