How can the provided PHP code for creating a MySQL dump be improved or optimized for better performance?

The provided PHP code for creating a MySQL dump can be improved by using the `exec()` function to directly execute the `mysqldump` command in the shell, instead of reading the output of `mysqldump` into a variable. This can improve performance by reducing memory usage and avoiding potential issues with large database dumps. Additionally, using the `--single-transaction` flag can help ensure a consistent dump of the database.

<?php
$host = 'localhost';
$user = 'username';
$pass = 'password';
$db = 'database_name';

$command = "mysqldump --single-transaction -h $host -u $user -p$pass $db > backup.sql";
exec($command);
echo 'Database backup created successfully.';
?>