How can PHP developers ensure that the correct PHP version is recognized by the hosting environment when dealing with version discrepancies like PHP 7.1 being displayed as 7.71?

To ensure that the correct PHP version is recognized by the hosting environment, PHP developers can use a PHP configuration file (such as .htaccess or php.ini) to specify the desired PHP version. By setting the correct version in the configuration file, the hosting environment will recognize and use the specified PHP version instead of displaying a different version.

// Example of setting the PHP version to 7.1 in .htaccess file
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php71 .php