How does implementing a role-based access control system in PHP help in managing user permissions more effectively compared to a simple column approach?

Implementing a role-based access control system in PHP helps in managing user permissions more effectively compared to a simple column approach by allowing for more granular control over what actions users can perform based on their assigned roles. This approach simplifies the management of permissions by grouping users with similar access rights into roles, making it easier to add or remove permissions as needed without having to update individual user records.

// Example code snippet implementing a role-based access control system in PHP

// Define roles and their corresponding permissions
$roles = [
    'admin' => ['create', 'read', 'update', 'delete'],
    'editor' => ['create', 'read', 'update'],
    'viewer' => ['read'],
];

// Check if a user has permission to perform a specific action
function hasPermission($userRole, $action)
{
    global $roles;
    
    if (isset($roles[$userRole]) && in_array($action, $roles[$userRole])) {
        return true;
    }
    
    return false;
}

// Example usage
$userRole = 'admin';
$action = 'delete';

if (hasPermission($userRole, $action)) {
    echo "User has permission to $action";
} else {
    echo "User does not have permission to $action";
}