How can the use of return statements improve the readability and modularity of PHP code compared to exit()?

Using return statements instead of exit() can improve the readability and modularity of PHP code because return statements allow functions to return a value and continue executing code, while exit() immediately terminates the script. By using return statements, functions can be designed to return a specific value without stopping the entire script. This can make the code more modular and easier to understand as it separates the logic of returning a value from the logic of ending the script.

function calculateSum($num1, $num2) {
    $sum = $num1 + $num2;
    return $sum;
}

$result = calculateSum(5, 3);
echo "The sum is: " . $result;