How can PHP developers optimize the performance of their scripts when dealing with large datasets like news articles and comments?

When dealing with large datasets like news articles and comments, PHP developers can optimize performance by using techniques such as pagination, caching, and optimizing database queries. Pagination helps to limit the number of records fetched at a time, reducing the load on the server. Caching can store frequently accessed data in memory for quicker retrieval. Optimizing database queries involves using indexes, limiting the number of columns fetched, and avoiding unnecessary joins.

// Example of implementing pagination in PHP
$page = isset($_GET['page']) ? $_GET['page'] : 1;
$records_per_page = 10;
$offset = ($page - 1) * $records_per_page;

$query = "SELECT * FROM news_articles LIMIT $offset, $records_per_page";
// Execute the query and display the results