How can functions be utilized to improve the readability and maintainability of PHP code for file processing?

To improve the readability and maintainability of PHP code for file processing, functions can be utilized to encapsulate specific file processing tasks. By breaking down the code into smaller, reusable functions, it becomes easier to understand and maintain. Functions also allow for better organization of code and promote code reusability.

<?php

// Function to read a file and return its contents as an array
function readFileToArray($filename) {
    $fileContents = file($filename, FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES);
    return $fileContents;
}

// Function to write an array to a file
function writeArrayToFile($filename, $data) {
    file_put_contents($filename, implode("\n", $data));
}

// Example usage
$fileData = readFileToArray('example.txt');
// Perform some processing on the data
writeArrayToFile('output.txt', $fileData);

?>