How can the readability and maintainability of PHP code be improved when handling form input validation?

To improve the readability and maintainability of PHP code when handling form input validation, you can create separate functions for each validation rule. This way, each validation rule is isolated and can be easily understood and maintained. Additionally, you can use meaningful variable names and comments to explain the purpose of each validation rule.

function validateEmail($email) {
    if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

function validatePassword($password) {
    if (strlen($password) < 8) {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

// Usage
$email = $_POST['email'];
$password = $_POST['password'];

if (!validateEmail($email)) {
    echo "Invalid email address.";
}

if (!validatePassword($password)) {
    echo "Password must be at least 8 characters long.";
}