What are best practices for organizing PHP code within a forum setting?

When organizing PHP code within a forum setting, it is important to follow best practices to ensure readability, maintainability, and scalability. One way to achieve this is by using a modular approach, separating different functionalities into separate files or classes. This helps in organizing the codebase and makes it easier to manage and update in the future.

// Example of organizing PHP code in a forum setting

// Separate file for database connection
include 'db_connection.php';

// Separate file for user authentication
include 'auth.php';

// Separate file for forum posts
include 'forum_posts.php';

// Separate file for user profiles
include 'user_profiles.php';