What are some efficient methods for reading directories on a web server using PHP?

When working with directories on a web server using PHP, it is important to efficiently read the contents of the directory. One efficient method is to use the `scandir()` function, which returns an array of files and directories in a specified path. This function allows for easy iteration through the directory contents and can be used to perform various operations on the files.

// Define the directory path
$directory = "/path/to/directory";

// Get the list of files and directories in the specified path
$files = scandir($directory);

// Iterate through the array of files and directories
foreach($files as $file){
    echo $file . "<br>";
}