What are the common pitfalls to avoid when handling date conversions and comparisons in PHP scripts?

Common pitfalls to avoid when handling date conversions and comparisons in PHP scripts include not specifying the correct timezone, using incorrect date formats, and not considering leap years. To avoid these issues, always set the timezone explicitly, use the correct date format for conversions, and consider leap years when comparing dates.

// Set the timezone explicitly
date_default_timezone_set('UTC');

// Correctly format dates for conversions
$date1 = date_create_from_format('Y-m-d', '2022-01-01');
$date2 = date_create_from_format('Y-m-d', '2022-02-01');

// Consider leap years when comparing dates
if ($date1 < $date2) {
    echo "Date 1 is before Date 2";
} else {
    echo "Date 1 is after Date 2";
}