How does self-teaching PHP without formal courses impact understanding of best practices in programming?

Self-teaching PHP without formal courses may result in gaps in understanding best practices in programming, as formal courses often cover important concepts and guidelines for writing efficient and secure code. To bridge this gap, individuals can supplement their self-learning with resources such as online tutorials, documentation, and forums to stay updated on best practices in PHP programming.

// Example of implementing best practices in PHP programming
// Use PDO for database interactions to prevent SQL injection
$db = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');

// Use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection
$stmt = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();

// Use password_hash() and password_verify() for secure password storage and authentication
$hashedPassword = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
if (password_verify($password, $hashedPassword)) {
    echo 'Password is correct';
} else {
    echo 'Password is incorrect';
}