How can basic PHP syntax and HTML validation be improved in the code snippet?

The basic PHP syntax and HTML validation can be improved by using PHP functions like htmlspecialchars() to prevent XSS attacks and by properly structuring the HTML code to ensure it is valid. Additionally, it is important to separate PHP logic from HTML presentation by using PHP to generate dynamic content.

<?php
// Get user input and sanitize it using htmlspecialchars()
$user_input = isset($_POST['user_input']) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['user_input']) : '';

// Output the sanitized user input within the HTML code
echo "<p>User Input: $user_input</p>";
?>