How can lazy loading be implemented in PHP to reduce overhead and improve efficiency in script execution?

Lazy loading in PHP can be implemented by only loading resources or classes when they are actually needed, reducing overhead and improving efficiency in script execution. This can be achieved by using autoloaders or using a design pattern like the Proxy pattern to delay the creation of objects until they are actually needed. 

// Implementing lazy loading using autoloaders
function autoload($class) {
    include 'classes/' . $class . '.php';
}
spl_autoload_register('autoload');

// Using lazy loading with the Proxy pattern
class RealObject {
    public function performAction() {
        // Perform some action
    }
}

class ProxyObject {
    private $realObject;

    public function performAction() {
        if (!$this->realObject) {
            $this->realObject = new RealObject();
        }
        $this->realObject->performAction();
    }
}

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