Are there best practices for handling delays in PHP scripts to prevent clients from waiting indefinitely for a response?

When handling delays in PHP scripts to prevent clients from waiting indefinitely for a response, it is important to set a maximum execution time limit using the `set_time_limit()` function. This will ensure that the script stops executing after a specified amount of time, preventing clients from waiting indefinitely. Additionally, using asynchronous processing techniques such as AJAX or multi-threading can help improve the performance of the script and prevent delays.

// Set maximum execution time limit to 30 seconds
set_time_limit(30);

// Your PHP script code goes here
// This script will stop executing after 30 seconds