How can the use of if statements and else clauses be optimized in PHP scripts to avoid unnecessary output or errors?

To optimize the use of if statements and else clauses in PHP scripts, it is important to carefully structure the conditions to avoid unnecessary output or errors. One way to achieve this is by using else if statements to handle multiple conditions in a more organized manner. Additionally, using early returns or exits within if statements can help prevent unnecessary code execution.

// Example of optimizing if statements and else clauses in PHP
$number = 10;

if ($number < 0) {
    echo "Number is negative";
} elseif ($number == 0) {
    echo "Number is zero";
} else {
    echo "Number is positive";
}