What are some best practices for ensuring smooth integration between PHP and MySQL versions during updates or installations?

When updating or installing PHP and MySQL, it is crucial to ensure that the versions are compatible to avoid any integration issues. One best practice is to check the compatibility matrix provided by PHP and MySQL to confirm that the versions being used are supported together. Additionally, updating PHP extensions and drivers for MySQL can help in ensuring smooth integration between the two.

// Example of checking PHP and MySQL version compatibility
if (version_compare(phpversion(), '7.4', '<')) {
    echo "PHP version 7.4 or higher is required for MySQL integration.";
} else {
    // Check MySQL version compatibility here
}