In terms of software design and coding practices, how does the decision to declare and initialize variables in PHP impact the readability, maintainability, and overall quality of the code?

Declaring and initializing variables in PHP can greatly impact the readability, maintainability, and overall quality of the code. By declaring variables before using them, it makes it easier for other developers to understand the purpose of the variable. Initializing variables also ensures that they have a default value, reducing the chances of unexpected behavior in the code.

// Declaring and initializing variables
$name = "John";
$age = 25;
$isAdmin = true;

// Using the variables
echo "Name: " . $name . "<br>";
echo "Age: " . $age . "<br>";
echo "Is Admin: " . ($isAdmin ? 'Yes' : 'No') . "<br>";