What are the advantages of using PHP functions like isset() and empty() to validate user input before processing it in scripts?

When processing user input in PHP scripts, it is important to validate the input to ensure it is not empty and is set before further processing. This helps prevent errors and vulnerabilities in the script, such as undefined variable warnings or potential security risks. Using functions like isset() and empty() can help easily check if a variable is set and not empty before proceeding with the script execution.

// Validate user input using isset() and empty()
if(isset($_POST['username']) && !empty($_POST['username'])) {
    $username = $_POST['username'];
    // Further processing of the username variable
} else {
    echo "Please enter a valid username.";
}