What are the advantages of using password_hash() and password_verify() functions in PHP for password security?

Using the password_hash() and password_verify() functions in PHP is advantageous for password security because they provide a secure way to hash passwords before storing them in a database. The password_hash() function generates a new password hash using a strong one-way hashing algorithm, while the password_verify() function verifies that a password matches a hash. This helps protect user passwords from being easily compromised in case of a data breach.

// Hashing a password before storing it in the database
$password = "secret_password";
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Verifying a password during login
$login_password = "entered_password";
if (password_verify($login_password, $hashed_password)) {
    // Password is correct
    echo "Login successful!";
} else {
    // Password is incorrect
    echo "Login failed. Please try again.";
}