How important is it to consider PHP version compatibility and server configurations when developing PHP applications that rely on features introduced in newer versions of the language?

It is crucial to consider PHP version compatibility and server configurations when developing PHP applications that rely on features introduced in newer versions of the language. This ensures that the application can run on a wide range of servers and environments without compatibility issues. To address this, developers should check the PHP version requirements for the features they are using and implement fallbacks or alternative solutions for older PHP versions.

// Check PHP version compatibility
if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '7.0.0') < 0) {
    // Implement fallback or alternative solution for older PHP versions
    // Example: using a polyfill or alternative function
} else {
    // Use features introduced in PHP 7.0 and above
}