Are there any best practices for handling variables in PHP to avoid parse errors, especially when using them within conditional statements?

When using variables within conditional statements in PHP, it's important to ensure that the variables are properly defined and initialized to avoid parse errors. One common mistake is forgetting to initialize a variable before using it in a conditional statement, which can result in a parse error. To avoid this issue, always initialize variables before using them in conditional statements.

// Example of handling variables in PHP to avoid parse errors
$variable = "value"; // Initialize the variable before using it in a conditional statement

if ($variable == "value") {
    echo "Variable is equal to 'value'";
} else {
    echo "Variable is not equal to 'value'";
}