How can .htaccess be utilized to improve URL structure in PHP applications and what are the best practices for implementing these changes?

Using .htaccess, we can rewrite URLs in PHP applications to improve their structure and make them more user-friendly. This can help with SEO and overall website usability. One common practice is to remove file extensions from URLs and convert dynamic URLs into static-looking URLs. ```apache RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteRule ^([^\.]+)$ $1.php [NC,L] ```