What are the benefits of using functions like range and array_merge in PHP for creating random strings?

When creating random strings in PHP, using functions like range and array_merge can help generate a wider variety of characters to choose from, resulting in a more random and unpredictable string. By combining these functions, you can easily create custom character sets to use in your random string generation.

// Generate a random string using a custom character set
function generateRandomString($length) {
    $chars = array_merge(range('a', 'z'), range('A', 'Z'), range(0, 9)); // Combine lowercase letters, uppercase letters, and numbers
    $randomString = '';
    for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++) {
        $randomString .= $chars[array_rand($chars)];
    }
    return $randomString;
}

// Usage
$randomString = generateRandomString(10);
echo $randomString;