How can the PHP_AUTH_USER variable be used as an alternative to $REMOTE_USER for retrieving user information in PHP scripts?

To retrieve user information in PHP scripts, the PHP_AUTH_USER variable can be used as an alternative to $REMOTE_USER when working with HTTP basic authentication. This variable contains the username provided by the user during the authentication process. By accessing this variable, you can easily retrieve the username without relying on $REMOTE_USER.

$user = $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER'];
echo "Welcome, $user!";