What are the best methods for creating an IRC chat on a website using PHP?

To create an IRC chat on a website using PHP, you can utilize a PHP IRC library like Phergie. This library allows you to connect to an IRC server, join channels, send messages, and receive messages. By integrating this library into your website, you can create a real-time chat experience for users.

// Include the Phergie library
require_once 'path/to/Phergie/Client.php';

// Create a new instance of the Phergie Client
$client = new \Phergie\Client\React\Client;

// Connect to an IRC server
$client->on('connect.after.each', function($event, $connection) {
    $connection->send('JOIN #channel');
});

// Handle incoming messages
$client->on('irc.received', function($event, $message, $connection) {
    echo $message->getNick() . ': ' . $message->getText() . PHP_EOL;
});

// Start the IRC client
$client->run();