How can naming conventions in PHP code affect readability and understanding of the code?

Naming conventions in PHP code can greatly affect the readability and understanding of the code. By following consistent naming conventions, developers can easily identify the purpose of variables, functions, and classes without needing to dig deep into the code. This can lead to faster debugging, easier maintenance, and improved collaboration among team members. Example:

// Bad naming convention
$abc = 5;
function xyz() {
    // code here
}

// Good naming convention
$number = 5;
function calculateTotal() {
    // code here
}