What are common mistakes to avoid when using the rand() function in PHP?

Common mistakes to avoid when using the rand() function in PHP include not seeding the random number generator properly and not specifying the correct range for the random numbers. To avoid these issues, it is recommended to use the mt_rand() function instead of rand() for better randomness and to always seed the random number generator with srand() before generating random numbers.

// Correct way to generate a random number within a specified range
$min = 1;
$max = 10;
$randomNumber = mt_rand($min, $max);
echo $randomNumber;