How can PHP developers utilize .htaccess files to protect sensitive template files?

PHP developers can utilize .htaccess files to protect sensitive template files by restricting access to them from the web. This can be achieved by creating a .htaccess file in the directory containing the template files and using the "deny from all" directive to block all incoming requests to those files. This ensures that only authorized users can access the sensitive template files. ```apache # Block access to sensitive template files <FilesMatch "\.tpl$"> Order allow,deny Deny from all </FilesMatch> ```