What are the best practices for managing API keys in PHP applications?

Managing API keys securely in PHP applications is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. One best practice is to store API keys in environment variables or configuration files outside of the web root. This helps to prevent exposure of API keys in source code or through version control systems.

// Store API key in environment variable
$apiKey = getenv('API_KEY');

// Or store API key in a configuration file
$config = parse_ini_file('config.ini');
$apiKey = $config['API_KEY'];