How can the use of aliases in SQL queries improve readability and prevent ambiguity, especially when dealing with multiple tables?

Using aliases in SQL queries can improve readability and prevent ambiguity by providing shorter and more meaningful names for tables and columns. This is especially useful when dealing with multiple tables, as it can make the query easier to understand and maintain. Aliases can also help avoid naming conflicts and make the query more concise.

$query = "SELECT u.id, u.username, p.post_content 
          FROM users AS u
          JOIN posts AS p ON u.id = p.user_id
          WHERE u.status = 'active'";