How can PHP developers ensure that included scripts maintain their functionality when included in different files or directories?

When including scripts in PHP, developers should use relative paths and avoid hardcoding absolute paths to ensure that the included scripts maintain their functionality when included in different files or directories. By using relative paths, the script will be able to locate the included files regardless of the directory structure.

// Use relative paths when including scripts
include 'includes/header.php';
include 'includes/footer.php';