How can the use of *.po files or PHP libraries such as Smarty-Gettext improve the efficiency of managing translations in PHP projects?

Using *.po files or PHP libraries such as Smarty-Gettext can improve the efficiency of managing translations in PHP projects by centralizing all translation strings in one location, making it easier to update and maintain translations. These tools also provide a standardized format for translations, making it easier for translators to work with the strings. Additionally, they offer features like pluralization and context handling, which can improve the accuracy and quality of translations.

// Example code snippet using Smarty-Gettext for managing translations

// Initialize Smarty-Gettext
require_once('SmartyGettext.class.php');
$smarty_gettext = new SmartyGettext();

// Set the language directory
$smarty_gettext->setLanguageDir('/path/to/language/directory');

// Set the current language
$smarty_gettext->setLanguage('en_US');

// Load translations
$smarty_gettext->load('domain_name');

// Translate a string
echo $smarty_gettext->translate('Hello, world!');