Temporal values.
WHAT TO USE
The object-based date handling, rather than older function-based approaches.
WHY
It handles time zones, arithmetic and formatting properly.
WHAT TO SET
A default time zone explicitly.
WHY
Relying on the server's setting produces different behaviour in different environments.
WHAT TO STORE
A consistent standard, converting for display.
WHY
Storing local times without zone information produces ambiguity that cannot be resolved later.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Comparing values in different zones Arithmetic across daylight changes, where applicable Parsing text without specifying the format
THE PARSING POINT
Day and month order differs by region.
Specify the expected format rather than allowing interpretation.
WHAT TO USE FOR DIFFERENCES
The interval handling provided, rather than subtracting numbers.
WHAT TO VALIDATE
That parsed dates are plausible.
WHAT LARAVEL ADDS
A richer date library, used throughout the framework.
