In what situations is it recommended to sort arrays directly in a SQL query rather than in PHP code?

Sorting arrays directly in a SQL query is recommended when dealing with large datasets, as it can improve performance by leveraging the database's indexing and sorting capabilities. This approach can be particularly useful when the sorted data will be used for further processing or display in the application. However, sorting in SQL should be done judiciously, as it can add complexity to the query and may not always be the most efficient solution.

// Example PHP code snippet to sort an array directly in a SQL query

$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name ORDER BY column_name ASC";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    // Process each row as needed
}