What are the best practices for handling table reservations efficiently in PHP without relying on complex algorithms like knapsack?

When handling table reservations efficiently in PHP without relying on complex algorithms like knapsack, one approach is to sort the reservations based on their start time and iterate through them to assign tables sequentially without overbooking. This ensures a fair and efficient allocation of tables without the need for complex optimization techniques.

// Sample code for handling table reservations efficiently without complex algorithms

// Sample reservations data sorted by start time
$reservations = [
    ['start_time' => '10:00', 'end_time' => '12:00'],
    ['start_time' => '11:30', 'end_time' => '13:00'],
    ['start_time' => '12:30', 'end_time' => '14:00'],
    ['start_time' => '13:30', 'end_time' => '15:00'],
];

// Initialize table counter
$tableCounter = 1;

// Iterate through reservations and assign tables sequentially
foreach ($reservations as $reservation) {
    echo "Table {$tableCounter}: Reservation from {$reservation['start_time']} to {$reservation['end_time']}\n";
    $tableCounter++;
}