How can developers ensure they are following best practices when making changes to PHP configuration settings, especially on shared hosting environments?

Developers can ensure they are following best practices when making changes to PHP configuration settings on shared hosting environments by carefully reviewing the hosting provider's guidelines and restrictions, testing changes in a development environment before implementing them on the live site, and keeping a backup of the original configuration settings in case any issues arise.

// Example of setting a PHP configuration directive in a shared hosting environment
ini_set('memory_limit', '256M');