How can the use of require_once and include_once functions improve the file inclusion process in PHP?

When including files in PHP, using the require_once and include_once functions can prevent the same file from being included multiple times. This helps avoid issues such as redeclaring functions or classes, leading to cleaner and more efficient code.

<?php
require_once 'config.php';
include_once 'functions.php';

// Rest of the PHP code
?>