How can PHP functions like http_build_query improve code readability and maintainability?

Using PHP functions like http_build_query can improve code readability and maintainability by simplifying the process of creating query strings for URLs. Instead of manually concatenating key-value pairs with "&" symbols, http_build_query automatically handles this formatting. This makes the code easier to read and understand, as well as reducing the chances of errors when building query strings.

// Example of using http_build_query to create a query string
$data = array(
    'name' => 'John Doe',
    'age' => 30,
    'city' => 'New York'
);

$queryString = http_build_query($data);

echo 'http://example.com/api?' . $queryString;