Are there any best practices for including external files in PHP scripts for web development?

When including external files in PHP scripts for web development, it is best practice to use the include or require functions to ensure that the file is properly included and executed. This helps to keep your code organized and modular, making it easier to maintain and update in the future.

// Example of including an external file using require
require 'header.php';
```

```php
// Example of including an external file using include
include 'footer.php';