In what situations should PHP developers use the shorthand "<?php ?>" tags instead of "<? ?>" tags, and how can this impact the execution of include statements within PHP files?

When using PHP shorthand tags "<? ?>" instead of "<?php ?>", it is recommended to use the full "<?php ?>" tags to ensure compatibility across different server configurations. This is particularly important when working with include statements within PHP files, as some servers may not support the shorthand tags. By consistently using "<?php ?>" tags, you can avoid potential issues with include statements not being executed properly on certain servers.

<?php
// Instead of using shorthand tags "<? ?>" for PHP code, use full "<?php ?>" tags
include 'file.php';
?>