How can PHP developers ensure that their code follows best practices when handling image uploads and conversions?

When handling image uploads and conversions in PHP, developers should ensure that they validate file types, sanitize file names, store files securely, and use libraries like GD or Imagick for image manipulation to prevent security vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with various image formats.

// Example code snippet for handling image uploads and conversions in PHP

// Validate file type
$allowed_types = array('jpg', 'jpeg', 'png', 'gif');
$extension = pathinfo($_FILES['image']['name'], PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
if (!in_array(strtolower($extension), $allowed_types)) {
    die('Invalid file type. Only JPG, JPEG, PNG, and GIF files are allowed.');
}

// Sanitize file name
$filename = preg_replace("/[^A-Za-z0-9.]/", "", $_FILES['image']['name']);

// Store file securely
$upload_path = 'uploads/';
$target_file = $upload_path . $filename;
move_uploaded_file($_FILES['image']['tmp_name'], $target_file);

// Use GD library for image manipulation
$image = imagecreatefromjpeg($target_file);
$new_image = 'new_image.jpg';
imagejpeg($image, $new_image, 75);
imagedestroy($image);