How can PHP developers effectively validate user input from forms to prevent errors and improve the overall user experience?

To effectively validate user input from forms in PHP, developers can use functions like `filter_var()` and `preg_match()` to ensure that the data meets the required format and criteria. By validating user input, developers can prevent errors, improve the overall user experience, and enhance the security of the application.

// Example code snippet for validating an email address input from a form
$email = $_POST['email'];

if (filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
    // Email is valid, proceed with processing
} else {
    // Display an error message to the user
    echo "Invalid email address";
}