original_string: protected function compareDates($attribute, $value, $parameters, $operator)
      {
          if (! is_string($value) && ! is_numeric($value) && ! $value instanceof DateTimeInterface) {
              return false;
          }
  
          if ($format = $this->getDateFormat($attribute)) {
              return $this->checkDateTimeOrder($format, $value, $parameters[0], $operator);
          }
  
          if (! $date = $this->getDateTimestamp($parameters[0])) {
              $date = $this->getDateTimestamp($this->getValue($parameters[0]));
          }
  
          return $this->compare($this->getDateTimestamp($value), $date, $operator);
      }
code: protected function compareDates($attribute, $value, $parameters, $operator)
      {
          if (! is_string($value) && ! is_numeric($value) && ! $value instanceof DateTimeInterface) {
              return false;
          }
  
          if ($format = $this->getDateFormat($attribute)) {
              return $this->checkDateTimeOrder($format, $value, $parameters[0], $operator);
          }
  
          if (! $date = $this->getDateTimestamp($parameters[0])) {
              $date = $this->getDateTimestamp($this->getValue($parameters[0]));
          }
  
          return $this->compare($this->getDateTimestamp($value), $date, $operator);
      }
code_tokens: protected function compareDates ( $ attribute , $ value , $ parameters , $ operator ) { if ( ! is_string ( $ value ) && ! is_numeric ( $ value ) && ! $ value instanceof DateTimeInterface ) { return false ; } if ( $ format = $ this -> getDateFormat ( $ attribute ) ) { return $ this -> checkDateTimeOrder ( $ format , $ value , $ parameters [ 0 ] , $ operator ) ; } if ( ! $ date = $ this -> getDateTimestamp ( $ parameters [ 0 ] ) ) { $ date = $ this -> getDateTimestamp ( $ this -> getValue ( $ parameters [ 0 ] ) ) ; } return $ this -> compare ( $ this -> getDateTimestamp ( $ value ) , $ date , $ operator ) ; }
docstring: Compare a given date against another using an operator.
  
  @param  string  $attribute
  @param  mixed  $value
  @param  array  $parameters
  @param  string  $operator
  @return bool
docstring_tokens: Compare a given date against another using an operator .