What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of using timestamps to compare dates in PHP?

When comparing dates in PHP, using timestamps can be beneficial because it allows for easy comparison of dates regardless of their format. Timestamps represent a specific point in time and can be compared using simple arithmetic operations. However, drawbacks may include potential issues with time zones and the need to ensure that timestamps are generated accurately. 

$date1 = strtotime('2022-01-01');
$date2 = strtotime('2022-01-15');

if ($date1 < $date2) {
    echo "Date 1 is before Date 2";
} elseif ($date1 > $date2) {
    echo "Date 1 is after Date 2";
} else {
    echo "Date 1 is equal to Date 2";
}

Keywords

timestamps compare dates benefits drawbacks PHP

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