How can PHP developers optimize their code readability and maintainability when dealing with nested menu structures and recursive functions?

When dealing with nested menu structures and recursive functions in PHP, developers can optimize code readability and maintainability by using clear variable names, adding comments to explain the logic, breaking down complex functions into smaller, more manageable ones, and following a consistent coding style. Additionally, using recursion effectively can simplify the code and make it easier to understand.

function buildMenu($menuItems, $parentId = 0) {
    $result = "<ul>";
    
    foreach ($menuItems as $item) {
        if ($item['parent_id'] == $parentId) {
            $result .= "<li>{$item['name']}</li>";
            
            $children = array_filter($menuItems, function($child) use ($item) {
                return $child['parent_id'] == $item['id'];
            });
            
            if (!empty($children)) {
                $result .= buildMenu($menuItems, $item['id']);
            }
        }
    }
    
    $result .= "</ul>";
    
    return $result;
}