What potential pitfalls can arise when comparing input dates with server dates in PHP?

When comparing input dates with server dates in PHP, potential pitfalls can arise due to differences in date formats, timezones, or server configurations. To ensure accurate comparisons, it is important to standardize the date formats and timezones before performing any comparisons. This can be achieved by using PHP's DateTime class to parse and format the dates consistently.

$input_date = "2022-01-15"; // Input date from user
$server_date = date("Y-m-d"); // Server date in YYYY-MM-DD format

$input_date_obj = new DateTime($input_date);
$server_date_obj = new DateTime($server_date);

if ($input_date_obj > $server_date_obj) {
    echo "Input date is in the future";
} elseif ($input_date_obj < $server_date_obj) {
    echo "Input date is in the past";
} else {
    echo "Input date is the same as server date";
}