How can PHP functions be optimized to handle null values in arrays efficiently?

When working with arrays that may contain null values, it is important to handle them efficiently to avoid errors or unexpected behavior in your PHP code. One way to optimize this is by using the null coalescing operator (??) to provide a default value in case a null value is encountered in the array. This ensures that your code continues to run smoothly even when null values are present.

// Example code snippet to handle null values in arrays efficiently using the null coalescing operator
$array = [1, 2, null, 4, null, 6];

foreach ($array as $value) {
    $newValue = $value ?? 'default';
    echo $newValue . PHP_EOL;
}