How can the use of more descriptive variable names improve the readability and maintainability of the PHP code?

Using more descriptive variable names can improve the readability and maintainability of PHP code by providing clear and meaningful context for each variable's purpose. This makes it easier for developers to understand the code logic and make changes in the future. By using descriptive names, it reduces the need for comments to explain the purpose of each variable, resulting in cleaner and more self-explanatory code.

// Bad example with unclear variable names
$a = 5;
$b = 10;
$result = $a + $b;
echo $result;

// Good example with descriptive variable names
$firstNumber = 5;
$secondNumber = 10;
$sum = $firstNumber + $secondNumber;
echo $sum;