How can developers ensure that URLs are correctly formatted and functional in PHP code?
Developers can ensure that URLs are correctly formatted and functional in PHP code by using the `filter_var()` function with the `FILTER_VALIDATE_URL` filter. This function will validate the URL format and return `true` if the URL is valid, or `false` if it is not. Additionally, developers can use the `urlencode()` function to properly encode any special characters in the URL.
$url = "https://www.example.com";
if (filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL)) {
echo "URL is valid";
} else {
echo "URL is not valid";
}