What are some key PHP functions or concepts that beginners should focus on when starting a project like a guestbook?

When creating a guestbook project in PHP, beginners should focus on key functions like handling form submissions, sanitizing input data to prevent SQL injection, and displaying messages in a user-friendly format. Additionally, concepts such as using sessions for user authentication and implementing basic CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) are essential for building a functional guestbook.

// Example code snippet for handling form submissions in a guestbook project

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    // Sanitize input data to prevent SQL injection
    $name = htmlspecialchars($_POST['name']);
    $message = htmlspecialchars($_POST['message']);
    
    // Perform validation on input data
    if (!empty($name) && !empty($message)) {
        // Save the guestbook entry to a database or file
        // Display a success message to the user
    } else {
        // Display an error message to the user
    }
}