What are some common pitfalls or outdated practices in PHP development that beginners should be aware of?

One common pitfall in PHP development is using outdated or deprecated functions. It's important for beginners to stay updated with the latest PHP versions and documentation to avoid using functions that are no longer supported. To solve this, always refer to the official PHP manual for the most up-to-date information on functions and features.

// Use the official PHP manual to check for deprecated functions
// and replace them with the recommended alternatives