How can PHP developers efficiently handle the cleanup of temporary or unneeded files in a server directory?

PHP developers can efficiently handle the cleanup of temporary or unneeded files in a server directory by creating a script that scans the directory for files based on specific criteria (e.g., file age, file extension) and deletes them accordingly. This script can be scheduled to run periodically using a cron job to automate the cleanup process.

// Define the directory to clean up
$directory = '/path/to/server/directory/';

// Define the criteria for file deletion (e.g., file age)
$threshold = strtotime('-1 day'); // Delete files older than 1 day

// Scan the directory for files
$files = glob($directory . '*');

// Loop through each file and delete if it meets the criteria
foreach ($files as $file) {
    if (filemtime($file) < $threshold) {
        unlink($file);
    }
}