How can PHP developers ensure that placeholders are properly replaced in the actual PHP file, not just in the displayed output?

When placeholders are used in a PHP file, they are typically replaced with actual values when the file is outputted to the browser. To ensure that the placeholders are properly replaced in the actual PHP file itself, developers can use a combination of file reading, string manipulation, and file writing techniques. By reading the PHP file, replacing the placeholders with actual values, and then writing the modified content back to the file, developers can ensure that the placeholders are replaced in the actual PHP file.

<?php
// Define the placeholders and their corresponding values
$placeholders = [
    '{placeholder1}' => 'value1',
    '{placeholder2}' => 'value2'
];

// Read the contents of the PHP file
$fileContent = file_get_contents('path/to/your/php/file.php');

// Replace the placeholders with actual values
foreach ($placeholders as $placeholder => $value) {
    $fileContent = str_replace($placeholder, $value, $fileContent);
}

// Write the modified content back to the PHP file
file_put_contents('path/to/your/php/file.php', $fileContent);
?>