What are the advantages of creating a separate table for user activation codes in PHP applications, and how can it improve security and efficiency?

Creating a separate table for user activation codes in PHP applications can improve security by isolating sensitive information from user data. It can also improve efficiency by allowing for faster retrieval and verification of activation codes.

CREATE TABLE activation_codes (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id INT,
    code VARCHAR(255),
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);